The Lagos State Government has denied rumours of plans to ban sachet water in the state, clarifying that the circulating video showing individuals bursting sachet water packs in factories and buses does not involve government enforcement officers. In a statement released on Sunday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, addressed the viral video that sparked widespread concern, asserting that the people in the video were enforcement officers from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), not state government personnel.
Wahab emphasized that the actions seen in the video were part of NAFDAC’s enforcement efforts targeting sachet water that fails to meet the agency’s regulatory standards, specifically those related to public health and safety. He assured the public that Lagos State has no intention of banning sachet water, as its primary focus is on managing plastic waste in a sustainable manner.
The Commissioner explained that the Lagos State government is committed to tackling plastic waste through measures like the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiative, which mandates that producers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) products, including sachets and carrier bags, assume responsibility for the recycling and disposal of their products. Additionally, the state government is working with producers and Producer Responsibility
Organizations (PROs) to establish a Plastic Waste Management Fund to address the growing plastic waste challenge.
Wahab further urged the public to disregard the misinformation surrounding the issue, reassuring residents that there are no plans to ban sachet water. He also reminded the public that a previously announced ban on single-use plastics and Styrofoam, set to take effect in January 2025, would not include sachet water or PET bottles.
In mid-October 2024, the Lagos State Government had already clarified that sachet water would not be affected by the upcoming plastic ban, seeking to calm any concerns related to the impact of the policy on everyday products.
