The Association of Table Waters Producers (ATWAP) has spoken on the prospect of pure water being sold at N100 per unit due to the surging costs of production materials.
The manufacturers at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, February 28, spoke on their concerns about challenges, including the high cost of diesel, power shortages, and the overall increased production expenses.
They emphasized that delivering quality drinking water to consumers requires additional investment, given the current prices of production materials.
The potential price hike for water is seen as a response to the challenging economic conditions in the country.
One of its representatives said: “Pure water is sold for N50 now, and it is even going up to N100 per one. At our own end, there’s nothing we can do. The cost of production is high.
“As at last year December, we were buying materials (nylon) for N1,100 per KG. The 6 kg of nylon is now N3,600/N3,700. The cost of treatment is also high. The increment for these materials comes at 3 times in one week. It is also difficult for us to increase the price of water.
“If ordinary Nigerians can’t afford pure water, I don’t know where we are going. Every water producer is funding the pure water factory on personal pockets or borrowed money.
“Many banks don’t give pure water producers loans. We want Nigerians to bear with us. We don’t want Nigerians to buy water at more than N20 per sachet. The cost of production including the price of diesel has affected so many things.”
