The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii, has disclosed that pure water sales have reached N7 billion on a daily basis even as four million pure water companies are registered with the agency on a yearly basis.
The DG, NAFDAC made the revelation at a small business support desk stakeholders’ forum in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
Dr. Orhii advised manufacturers to ensure they adhered to quality standards as the agency would not tolerate any shoddy practices to cut corners which occasionally results in the loss of lives of Nigerians.
On the registration of products, he said the agency has reduced the period of registration to 90 days, adding that there was room for fast tracking but with additional fee.
“If you have good products and you have filed all the necessary papers and you have paid all the required fees, you will be able to get your product registered within 90 days.
“Your product must pass through all laboratory analyses and proof to be of standard before it can be allowed into the market for the sake of the health of Nigerians.
“If any manufacturer whose product has been certified to be of standard wants to get it registered faster, the manufacturer will pay more to get it done,” he explained.
That’s a N2.55 trillion ($11.6 billion) industry. Pure water alone.