The Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) in Oyo State has urged the Oyo State House of Assembly to reconsider its proposed bill seeking to ban sachet water as part of a move to phase out single-use plastics.
The Association warned that the legislation already threatens investors’ confidence, and could worsen unemployment and deny millions of residents access to affordable drinking water.
The association also threatened to institute legal action should the Assembly proceed with the passage of the bill without removing sachet water from its provisions.
Westernmirror.com.ng reports that the proposed legislation seeks to phase out selected single-use plastic products in Oyo State by 2027 as part of efforts to address environmental pollution and improve waste management.
However, the proposal has continued to generate mixed reactions from stakeholders, particularly operators in the sachet water industry, who argue that a total ban without adequate alternatives could have severe economic and public health consequences.
Addressing journalists in Ibadan on Tuesday, July 21, the Chairman of the association in Oyo State, Oladejo Adegboyega, said the proposed legislation, if enacted in its present form, would cripple thriving investments worth billions of naira and throw thousands of workers out of employment across the state.
Adegboyega, who was flanked by other executive members of the association, said the industry was not opposed to environmental protection but insisted that banning sachet water was not the solution to the challenge of plastic waste.
He disclosed that the association first became aware of the proposed legislation in February through media reports and immediately wrote to both the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly and the Clerk of the House, requesting an opportunity to engage lawmakers on the implications of the bill.
According to him, despite officially acknowledging the letters, the Assembly did not respond until months later when the association was invited to participate in a public hearing after the bill had already passed its first and second readings.
“We were surprised that the bill had gone through the first and second readings before stakeholders like us were invited. Nevertheless, we prepared and submitted a comprehensive memorandum as requested because we believed constructive engagement was the best approach,” he said.
Adegboyega explained that in its memorandum, the association questioned the rationale behind including sachet water in the proposed ban, arguing that while the bill covers several single-use plastic products, sachet water appears to be the primary target.
He challenged lawmakers to provide a practical and affordable alternative to sachet water for millions of ordinary Nigerians resident in Oyo before contemplating a ban.
“Government has the constitutional power to make laws, but any policy must consider the realities on the ground. Sachet water remains the most accessible and affordable source of drinking water for millions of Nigerians.
“People can find sachet water in every town, village and rural community. If the alternative is bottled water, that is unrealistic because bottled water is beyond the reach of the average Nigerian. More than 80 per cent of our population are low-income earners who depend on sachet water daily,” he said.
The association maintained that properly produced sachet water has continued to provide safe drinking water across the country, noting that no outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera or typhoid has ever been traced to registered sachet water producers.
Adebuega argued that the proposed legislation ignored government’s inability to provide regular pipe-borne water, warning that banning sachet water could force vulnerable residents to resort to unsafe water sources.
“For years, many communities have not enjoyed regular clean public water supply. If sachet water is removed without a viable alternative affordable and accessible to the ordinary Nigerians, people may return to fetching water from unsafe streams and shallow wells, exposing them to serious health risks,” he added.
He further warned that the proposed law would send negative signals to investors who he said are already agitated and fast losing their confidence, stressing that members of the association had committed billions of naira to establishing factories across Oyo State.
“If professional valuers assess all our factories today, the investments will run into billions of naira. These are legitimate businesses established in accordance with the law.
“Passing a law that suddenly renders such investments unviable will undoubtedly threaten investors’ confidence, not only in our sector but across the state.”
According to him, the sachet water industry has become a major employer of labour, with even the smallest production facility providing jobs for several workers.
“In every factory, no matter how small, people are employed. We train them, they earn livelihoods, raise families and contribute to the economy. At a time when unemployment remains a major concern, this is not the kind of policy that should be introduced,” he said.
The ATWAP chairman also expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the public hearing, alleging that members of the association were not given adequate opportunity to defend the memorandum they submitted.
“We were disappointed because stakeholders deserve a fair hearing. Our only request was that sachet water should be removed from the bill while government proceeds with regulations affecting other single-use plastic products,” he said.
Adegboyega disclosed that following the public hearing, the association held another meeting with the Chairman of the House Committee handling the bill and presented practical alternatives to address environmental concerns.
He said the producers proposed an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme, including the establishment of collection centres where used sachet water nylons would be gathered, purchased from the public and recycled.
According to him, such an initiative would not only reduce indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste but also create additional jobs through a robust recycling value chain.
“We proposed designated collection centres across the state where people can return used sachet water nylons and receive payment. That will encourage recycling, reduce environmental pollution and create another stream of employment.
“The committee acknowledged that if our proposal is implemented, it will substantially address the environmental concerns associated with sachet water packaging,” he stated.
Despite what he described as a positive response to the proposal, Adebuega said the association was surprised that the Assembly still appeared determined to retain sachet water in the bill.
Reaffirming the association’s respect for democratic institutions and the rule of law, he insisted that its members remained committed to constructive engagement.
“Our position is clear. Remove sachet water from the bill and we have no objection to regulations affecting other single-use plastics. We are responsible manufacturers and we are ready to partner with government in tackling environmental pollution.
“However, if the Assembly proceeds with the bill in its present form and it eventually becomes law, we will explore every legal avenue available to protect our investments, our workers and the millions of consumers who depend on sachet water every day,” he warned.