Economic hardship: 20% of water producers in Ogun shut down in six months, says ATWAP

The Association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP) in Ogun says 20% of its members ceased production between January and June.

Babatunde Lawal, the state chairman, spoke to NAN in Ota on Sunday.

Lawal said the affected members could not continue production because of “a lack of critical infrastructure that hindered their operations”.

He cited bad roads, poor power supply, and government policies as the “challenges affecting effective product distribution”.

He noted that rising fuel prices and increased costs of raw materials led to higher vehicle repair and production costs.

“We are appealing to the state and federal governments to redouble their efforts towards providing an enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” he said.

Lawal harped on the importance of critical infrastructure, as businesses that shut down would “inevitably downsize the workforce, contributing to a higher unemployment rate”.