20% members closed shop in 6 months – Table water producers

The Association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP), Ogun Chapter, says over 20 percent of its members shut down production between January and June due to poor infrastructure.

Mr. Babatunde Lawal, State Chairman of ATWAP, told the newsmen on Monday in Ota, Ogun.

According to Lawal, the affected members were unable to continue production due to a lack of critical infrastructure, which militated against their business.

Lawal identified bad roads, poor power supply, and government policies as challenges that impeded the effective distribution of their product.

He said that some of the challenges, such as increased fuel prices and a general hike in the cost of raw materials, also resulted in increased costs of vehicle repair and production in the long run.

“We are appealing to the state and federal governments to redouble their efforts towards providing an enabling environment for businesses to thrive,“ he said.

Lawal emphasised the need for the provision of critical infrastructure because any firm or business that shuts down would automatically downsize all its employees, thus leading to an increased unemployment rate.