… Decry poor regulation of sachet water production in Iseyin, Oke-Ogun

Practitioners in research, testing, calibration, schools and manufacturing laboratories have called on the Federal and Oyo State governments to improve the remuneration of laboratory workers, while decrying the poor regulation of sachet water production in Iseyin and the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.

To the group, the current spread of water diseases, lead poisoning and deaths attributed to typhoid was caused by negligence of regulatory bodies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and Federal and State Ministries of Health, among others.

The assertion was part of the discussions at the 2026 World Laboratory Day, which was held at Iseyin on Thursday with the theme: “Rethinking The Role of Laboratories in Global Health and Development”. It was organised by Lab21 Services Limited, in conjunction with the Association of Analytical and Calibration Laboratory Directors (AACLD).

In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BEREKOTRY Ltd, Iseyin, Engr. Taslim Owonikoko tasked the government at all levels to give the remuneration of laboratory workers the deserved priority to stop the current spate of their emigration overseas, termed: ‘Japa’.

In his words, “Laboratory workers are essential to the growth of health, manufacturing, education and other institutions. If we continue with the spate of brain-drain in the sector, we may have to continue to complain about the inadequacies. It is now a standard or benchmark to have somebody abroad, especially if the person is in the medical line, because of the value in their earnings abroad and the value placed on their living standard.

“The government needs to first identify their importance. The onus is on our government to give the laboratory workers their due, and the community also should be sensitised that before travelling abroad, two or three years should be put into serving the community.”

While delivering his lecture, the organiser of the event, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lab21 Services Limited, Dr Femi Oyediran, called on regulators of consumables like sachet water in Iseyin and Oke-Ogun, and Oyo State in general, to change their regulatory and monitoring system, as many killer diseases in the communities have been traced to water poisoning from sachet water.

“The only test NAFDAC and SON do for pure water manufacturers covers two years until the people want to renew, so these people carry out no test on the water they produce and sell to people. It is estimated that 1.1million premature deaths annually could be prevented in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) if 90% of patients had the tests they need for just six conditions. For the manufacturers, especially water producers that are all over our communities, there should be checks.”

He urged better collaboration among health sector workers to improve global health security as well as human, animal, environmental and food safety.