The Kebbi state branch of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control on Saturday organized a one-day sensitization session at the College of Nursing Sciences Birnin Kebbi to air its concern about water hygiene in the state.
Independent News reported that according to the state coordinator, Sulaiman Muyideen.the initiative is intended to educate packaged water factory owners in Kebbi state about personal hygiene, the need for registration, and how to safeguard naive consumers from drinking dangerous water presumed to be clean and well-treated.
He noted that nowadays, most water factory owners have other businesses, so they are not always present to monitor water production in their factories, with most of their production managers being uneducated or lacking scientific knowledge, therefore unfamiliar with packaged water production procedures.
The state chief said, “The agency chose to bring them near to teach them as a regulatory body as they observed concerns with personal hygiene, faulty water filtering due to insufficient filters, and UV light, which is crucial to the production of safe water in any water factory, in most of their operations.
He claimed that owners frequently receive advice to update their water filters on a regular basis and maintain a clean production by clothing appropriately and keeping the area tidy to prevent contact with dangerous microorganisms.
Muyideen continued, “Those who refused to register or agree to change filters must ensure clean water sources since no amount of filtration would make the water safe to consume if the source is poor.
“Those who refused to register or agree to change filters will pay administrative charges and as well risk temporary closure till they meet the requirements of the agency,” he said.
He urged the participants to carefully read the handouts because they are direct and succinct as well as helpful to factory owners in the state and that the agency could not afford to hold the sensitization workshop more frequently than once a year.