Sachet water producers in Delta embark on strike, risk FCCPC hammer

Producers of sachet water popularly
called ‘pure water’ in the Effurun, Jeddo and Warri axis of Delta State, on Friday, embarked on a three-day strike which will elapse on Sunday, to protest against the high cost of production.

The coordinator of producers of sachet water in the areas, Cletus Ebohon, who spoke to journalists on the action, said the strike had become imperative as the cost of production continues to bite harder on their business and they could no longer cope with the escalating costs.

According to Ebohon, due to the rising production cost, the price of a bag of sachet water would now sell for N450, unlike the previous N350, with effect from Monday, March 18, 2024.

The situation is not peculiar to Delta State alone as a nationwide survey by Ripples Nigeria revealed that the price of sachet water had gone up.

In different parts of the country, a bag containing 20 packs of sachet water now sells for between N400 and N500 as against the previous amount of N200 and N250 depending on the location.

READ ALSO:Sachet water price hike draws ire of Consumer Protection Agency

In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a bag of sachet water goes for N450 while in Jos, consumers buy a bag for between N350 and N400.

Findings also revealed that in states experiencing heat waves like Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Niger, Adamawa and Taraba States, a bag of sachet water sells for between N500 and N650.

In cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar, Benin, Uyo, Owerri and Ibadan, findings reveal that a bag of sachet water has also shot up while a single sachet goes for as much as N50 in some places.

This move however, may draw the ire of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) which has condemned the increase in price of sachet water in Nigeria describing it as “unacceptable.”
The FCCPC’s acting head, Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, expressed his disapproval during a World Consumer Rights Day event held in Abuja, on Friday.

The criticism comes after the Association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWP) announced a potential hike in sachet water prices, attributing it to rising production costs. Dr. Abdullahi, however, contested the justification for the “astronomical” increase, highlighting that many producers already have their machinery in place.

While acknowledging potential cost increases in areas like power and nylon, Abdullahi pointed towards a more concerning factor: cartels, which he lamented had taken over many market areas and we’re fixing prices unfairly.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now