By Abbas Aminu Bamalli
The Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Ohii has said that as part of the agency’s effort in ensuring safer and portable drinking water, it has embarked on the annual monitoring of water quality standard and compliance.
Dr. Ohii who made this known yesterday in Abuja while flagging off the annual monitoring said in keeping with the vision and mission of NAFDAC, the agency decided to partner with Emani Global Network Limited to embark on-site physico-chemical and microbiological test analysis at all package water manufacturing facilities nation-wide using modern mobile laboratory techniques.
He said the exercise is mandatory for all packaged water manufacturing facilities in the country saying it is also aimed at building up suitable database of water quality at factory level before distribution and sale, especially with respect to compliance and quality standards.
According to him, the standards for the quality of portable water for the purpose of consumption should have mandatory limits regarding constituents and contaminants that are known to be hazardous to health.
In his speech, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, suggested for NAFDAC collaboration with states and local governments in carrying out the test to ensure that quality water is been produced for the general consumption to avoid any health hazard.
He also advised that NAFDAC should find a way to partner with the producers of the table water by embarking on a special training for them to ensure that the quality of water they produce to public come along the line.
