Association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP), Oyo State chapter, has appealed to the Oyo State House of Assembly to remove sachet water from the proposed Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Bill currently before the legislature.
Speaking at a press briefing held on Tuesday at the association’s secretariat, the Oyo State Chairman of ATWAP, Mr. Oladejo Adegboyega, expressed the association’s dissatisfaction with the proposed legislation, warning that banning sachet water would have severe economic and social consequences.
The proposed Oyo State Single-Use Plastics Prohibition (SUPs) Bill, 2026 seeks to prohibit the production, importation, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastics across the state, including plastic shopping bags, sachet water bags and plastic straws, as part of efforts to reduce plastic pollution and promote environmental sustainability.
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Adegboyega argued that sachet water producers provide safe and hygienic drinking water to millions of residents, particularly in areas where access to potable water remains inadequate.
“As an association, we are not happy with the move by the House of Assembly to ban sachet water through this bill. We are appealing to the lawmakers to reconsider and remove sachet water from the proposed legislation. Otherwise, we have informed our lawyers and will explore all lawful means available to us,” he said.
He noted that many communities in the state still lack regular pipe-borne water, making sachet water an essential source of drinking water.
“For almost five years now, I have not seen public water running consistently, yet they want to frustrate our efforts. Our investments are worth millions of naira, and we employ many vulnerable people whose livelihoods depend on this industry,” he added.
The ATWAP chairman also warned that businesses across the sachet water value chain would be adversely affected if the bill becomes law, adding that some foreign companies supplying nylon packaging materials had already indicated they might withdraw from the market should the ban be implemented.
According to him, the proposed ban would threaten thousands of direct and indirect jobs while disrupting the operations of businesses linked to the sachet water industry.
He appealed to the state government and lawmakers to engage stakeholders before taking any decision that could negatively impact public access to affordable drinking water and the livelihoods of those working in the sector.
Association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP), Oyo State chapter, has appealed to the Oyo State House of Assembly to