The Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) has called for stronger collaboration among regulatory bodies in the health, industrial and environmental sectors to strengthen Nigeria’s laboratory ecosystem.
Speaking at the 32nd Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) workshop in Lagos, the Registrar/CEO of IPAN, Aliyu Angara, urged relevant agencies to shun inter-agency rivalry and embrace synergy.
“While agencies may seek to expand their mandates, such expansion must be guided by professional ethics, mutual respect and national interest,” Angara said.
He noted that IPAN remains the only legally recognised body authorised to register analytical laboratories and train professionals qualified to issue Certificates of Analysis valid in law.
According to him, IPAN has consistently respected the mandates of sister agencies including NAFDAC, SON, NESREA and FCCPC, and expects the same courtesy in return.
The two-day workshop, themed, ‘Testing for Cosmetic Safety and Efficacy: Balancing Consumer Demands, Public Health, and Regulatory Standards,’ drew participants from regulatory agencies, academia, industry and policy circles.
Delivering the keynote address, the Dean, Faculty of Physical and Earth Sciences, University of Lagos, Prof. Olayinka Asekun, highlighted the rising demand for locally made cosmetic products and emphasised the need for robust safety assessments before market entry.
“There is a gradual shift in demand for African products made in Africa for African skin. This transformation is sparking a new age of local innovation, encouraging both local start-ups and foreign investments,” she said.
Asekun, however, expressed concern about the proliferation of adulterated and fake cosmetic products, warning that many unapproved products are being pushed into the market, increasing risks to consumers.
Declaring the workshop open, the chairman of the occasion, Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, urged analysts to rely on evidence-based practices rather than sentiment to ensure cosmetic products in Nigeria meet global safety standards.
“This year’s MCPD workshop has been convened to strengthen the analytical and regulatory capacity of public analysts, ensuring that cosmetic products in Nigeria meet globally accepted safety and efficacy standards,” he said.
The Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) is investigating complaints of alleged undercutting of the approved tariffs and smear campaigns by some registered laboratories.
Its Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Aliyu Angara, state this at the institute’s 31st Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (MCPD) workshop in Ikeja, Lagos.
He said those found guilty would be sanctioned.
Angara however warned against unethical practices. He reiterated that members should use the institute’s new stamp as not doing so is illegal and punishable.
The CEO said the institute is tackling the encroachment on their mandate in the registration and regulation of analytical labs by the Nigeria Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), Ibadan, adding that IPAN ‘is studying the legality of NISLT’s action’.
Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Babatunde Irukera assured IPAN of the commission’s support in giving consumers quality service.
Irukera, represented by the commission’s Legal Director, Tam Tamunokobia, praised the workshop’s theme ‘Expert Testimonies of Public Analysts for Efficient Regulation of Consumer Products’, hoping that its outcome would enhance consumer protection and regulatory efficiency.
IPAN’s past President, Prof. Olusegun Ogunmoyela, recalled a recent visit abroad, saying Nigeria’s public analysts still have a long way to go. He, therefore, sought government’s support in providing an enabling environment for them to thrive and the industry to grow.
Chairman of the occasion, Balogun Ganiyu Sanni, urged his colleagues on team work and better relationship. He also warned against unethical practices, saying they should defend the profession like lawyers and others do in their industries.
In this concluding part of our investigative story on the conditions of different brands of sachet water sold to unsuspecting consumers in Lagos as ‘pure’, HANNAH OJO reports on the result of the second batch of 15 laboratory- tested samples randomly selected in the five divisions of Lagos. With six of the samples revealing acidic content beyond the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, environmental factors and acute water shortage appears to be prime reasons for the contamination of water sources in the state.
Lagos residents who drink ‘pure water’ would have to be more discerning in their choice as six out of another set of 15 laboratory- tested sachet water revealed high acidic content. The pH level of the six acidic water ranged from 4.64 to 6.22, falling below the WHO minimum requirement of 6.50 for potable water. Last week, The Nation had published results from the first 15 samples out of which nine samples recorded the presence of contaminants such as coliform, microbial count, acidity and pathogenic bacteria.
The test also revealed LASPOTECH water has a slightly low pH at 6.22, with the analyst recommending treatment. The samples were selected in the month of August.
The result of the second batch brings to 15 the number of contaminated brands out of the 30 samples taken to the laboratory. The water samples, selected between May and August were contracted to the University of Lagos Consult Limited for a laboratory test. The physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of each sample were examined.
A registered public analyst and chartered chemist from the Chemistry Department of the University of Lagos issued an analyst’s certificate on each sample, in accordance with the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN). The brands were coded at the time they were tested in order to conceal their brand names.
Prof. Osibogun
A Consultant Public Health Physician/Epidemiologist, Prof Akin Osibogun, in an interview with The Nation, said the main danger from low pH of water (acidity) is that such water becomes corrosive and dissolves metal pipings, which may lead to high levels of metals in the consumed water, in addition to the economic costs.
“High pH of water, on the other hand, renders chlorination less effective and therefore increases the likelihood that bacterial agents of the disease may persist in such water and when consumed, may result in diarrhoeal diseases,” Prof Osibogun added.
He also said that some chemical contaminants may have acute or relatively immediate toxic effects, while other chemicals may have long term carcinogenic effects.
“There are over 10,000 chemicals now being used in industries and careless disposal of industrial wastes is one source of pollution of water sources,” he said.
His views were corroborated by a medical practitioner, Dr Shola Oguntona, who explained that when the pH of water is less than 7, it can be considered acidic.
Oguntona, formerly of the Department of Medical Biochemistry, Lagos State University College of Medicine, averred that although there are not enough scientific data to conclude that acidic water has a direct impact on health, he affirmed that there might be indirect effects causing kidney and cardiovascular diseases.
“Accumulation of lead in children can occur faster and this can affect their growth and memory. Other effects of water contaminated by metals can be stomach upset, vomiting, dehydration from vomiting and kidney diseases,” he told The Nation.
Acidic Sachet Water in Lagos; long time coming
The prevalence of acidic contents in some Lagos sachet water appears not to have been a sudden occurrence. Five years ago, a team of researchers at the Lagos State University College of Medicine carried out a study on contamination of sachet water produced within the industrial area of Ikeja in Lagos. Six sachet water samples were selected. The study, led by Dr Shola Ogunbona, showed that all the sachet water samples were acidic. It also showed high level of heavy metals (Chromium, lead, and zinc) which would accumulate in the body after long term consumption. Two other samples showed high level of chloride which was traced to industrial activities in this region where the water was produced.
In July 23 this year, a cholera outbreak was announced in the city of Lagos. At least two persons were reported dead while 25 others were said to be quarantined. Another report recorded six casualties in Shomolu among whom was a five-year-old Hannah Obi, an 18- year-old simply identified as Clement and a 66 –year- old woman, Risikat Okubena Majolagbe. In a space of one month, there were 26 cases and six deaths, according to records obtained from a government official, who pleaded anonymity.
A woman smiles as she gulps down a sachet water; oblivious to the potential contaminants therein
Also, data The Nation exclusively obtained from the Lagos State Ministry of Health revealed places like Epe, Ijede, Harvey Road (Yaba) and Shomolu as hot spots for cholera between 2014-2015. However, there are usually many unreported cases of deaths and illnesses arising from water- borne diseases as majority of Lagos residents are cut off from potable water supply.
The Lagos State Water Corporation only produces 215 million gallons of water per day for a population of 24 million people, leaving a deficit of over 500 million gallons per day.
The sketchy alternative citizens are faced with in the quest for potable water has resulted in the death of children. Most grievous was the death of 25 children from Otodo Gbame, a slum in the Ikate Eti Osa Local Government Area in February 2016. The children died after drinking the community’s pathogen-infected water.
Again, in March 2017 this year, there was another ‘water tragedy’ at Queens College, a government secondary school in the Yaba area of Lagos where three students died and scores of others were hospitalised as a result of a gastroenteritis epidemic contracted through contaminated water sources within the school environment.
Unenviable romance with wastes, effluents
With 13, 000 metric tonnes of waste generated in the state per day, Lagos has always had an unenviable romance with waste. Sadly, there are also many industries who flout environment rules by discharging untreated effluents into waste water. This invariably has affected the quality of water aquifers in the state, leading to contamination from source in most cases.
A sachet water treatment plant in Lagos
A geologist, Mr Olawale Alo, stated that while earth materials on the surface of water are supposed to act as filters; that may not be the case with Lagos, going by its high population density and the amount of generated wastes which may infiltrate into the sub-surface.
He counseled; “With Lagos being a coastal city, toxic materials produced from waste can easily infiltrate down, thereby polluting the water aquifers. The shallower water is more susceptible to pollution. Even the deep aquifers can have the issue of marine incursion such that the water would be salty. What that means is that if people must drill boreholes, it is better to do a geo-physical survey so that the deeper aquifers are targeted.”
The Lagos State Water Corporation is responsible for water supply across the state. Bedeviled by continuous population increase, failed public-private partnerships, inadequate budgetary allocation, poor labour practices and unstable power supply, the corporation falls short, hence leading to indiscriminate drilling of boreholes in the state. The indiscriminate drilling can send vibrations down into the soft surface of the earth, thereby paving way for environmental disasters.
Eyewitness accounts
Following the publication of the first part of this report two weeks ago, two Lagos residents reached out to the reporter to report cases of faulty water sachet samples and indiscreet packaging sighted in Lagos. Seye Joseph had no iota of doubt on August 21 when he gulped down the content of a sachet of pure water he bought from a location in Ikeja.
He said: “I took the water in my mouth but could not swallow it. The liquid had an abhorrent taste and I quickly spat it out. I later called the number on the sachet water and all they offered were apologies. I shuddered on the ills the bad water would have caused people because this same company also produces bottled water.”
The Gravel Truck
Another response came from Mr Femi Salawu, a communications specialist who photographed an image where a gravel truck was loaded with bags of sachet water with a man lying over them.
The water did not only stand the risk of being contaminated through exposure to the sun but also from the body fluids of the person who made a bed space on top of the pile.
Mr Salawu, who captured the image, tweeted at the reporter’s handle with the caption: “From earth moving vehicle to a sachet water carrying “motor”.
Is water still life?” The image was captured at 8:51 am on 22 August with the twitter handle @citizen_gavel.
It has been said that when sachet water is exposed to the sun and other harsh elements from the environment, it stands the risk of exposure to carcinogenic agents. According to Prof Oluwole Adedeji, a consultant with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, this happens when the polythene bag used to package the water is of low quality whilst being exposed to sunlight or stored under an unwholesome condition.
“Most of these bags have pores. They have holes which may not be visible to the human eye, which allow some elements in the environment to diffuse gradually into the water. The chemicals can be very carcinogenic,” Prof Adedeji intoned as he connects poorly packaged sachet water with cancer and other terminal illnesses associated with the lungs, liver and the heart.
Mr Oluwole Toye explaining how sachet water is produced
Advising on best practices, Mr Oluwole Toye, the Vice President of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology, who took the reporter through various purifying process of producing potable sachet water, said citizens have a responsibility to report sachet water producers that are not doing the right thing.
He said: “Some people are actually using water from the well while others use public water systems without purification. I am sure NAFDAC is also worried about the proliferation of sachet water companies.
What NAFDAC needs to do is to ensure effective control. NAFDAC is a corporate member of our institute, so we are always engaging them on how we can be of assistance.”
Safety valves
As a safety measure, citizens can boil their water and allow it to cool before drinking, The Nation learned. “Whenever one is unsure of one’s water source, it is better to boil. However, this takes care of only the biological agents that could cause disease. If you have also sunk a borehole in your premises, it will be useful to subject samples of the water to biological and chemical analysis. There are different types of filters in the market to address different iron pollutants,” Osibogun, advised.
Our stories, by faulted sachet water producers, ATWAP President
Aminat Akanji, the manager of Fizco water, one of the water samples indicted by the laboratory report, told The Nation that executive members of the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) came to the factory to take samples of its water for laboratory test, wondering what could have gone wrong while she was away on maternity leave.
She said: “I called for treatment and the pH level was checked as well. I don’t know what happened with the samples reported in the newspaper. I was away on maternity leave but things are okay now. We have called in a chemist to maintain the treatment plant and things have been certified okay,” she said.
When his reaction was sought on the acidic content of his sachet water, the producer of Two Ways Water, Mr Gafaru Wahud, said that no one had complained about the brand.
NAFDAC inspected our factory before we got registered and we have been maintaining the standards. We always back-flush our cylinder and change the filters from time to time.
Asked how often public analysts get to test the water, Wahud said the water factory, which sources its water from a borehole, had just opened. So, tests had not been conducted.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Polytechnic, the producers of LASPOTECH Water, Mr. Lanrewaju Kuye, said the school would not produce substandard water, considering that it produces for the consumption of both the students of the institution and members of the public.
“Regarding the issue (low pH), I will ask the consultant in charge of our water factory to cross-check. If the result is true, it will be corrected immediately.”
Also, Mr Afolabi Oluwaseyi, the producer of Jim Dee Water, which recorded a pH level of 5.65 against the WHO’s minimum standard of 6.50, discountenanced the test result obtained by The Nation.
“We are doing our renewal with NAFDAC. We have taken samples to the lab, though we have not collected the result. If there is any issue with the pH, we would have been alerted.”
Oluwaseyi, however, promised that the water treatment plant would be recharged to boast its pH if per chance the hydrolyte stopped working.
Sem-Sem Water, produced in Epe, also recorded a case of low pH pegged at 6.21. Mariam Morafa, the production manager of the water factory, said a water engineer would be called to access the treatment plant.
“This is the first complaint we have received. We would do something about it. We are supposed to do the water treatment every three months,” Morafa said, adding that the factory started production less than a year ago.
Med Oaeses sachet water sample produced in Ikeja Military cantonment also tested positive to high acidic content at 4.64. When The Nation visited the premises on Friday, workers at the plant declined to comment as the manager was said not to be available.
Explaining why there is proliferation of substandard sachet water brands in Lagos and other parts of the country, the President of the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP), Dame Clementina Ativie, attributed the problem to the increasingly high cost of doing business on account of which some producers are trying to cut cost by using substandard products.
One of the problems, she said, is excessive taxation. “Too much of taxes on the industry by various government agencies results in the use of cheap production materials by some producers to meet up with government tax demands,” she said.
She also fingered loopholes in the regulatory and supervisory mechanisms of government as part of the problem.
Dame Ativie said: “If the industry is currently being supervised by NAFDAC, SON, Ministry of Health, Lagos Water Regulatory Council (LSWRC), and these problems of contamination still manifest, then it means there is a missing gap somewhere. ATWAP should, therefore, be authorized by the government to regulate and supervise the industry in conjunction with NAFDAC”.
She also tasked government to put an end to the indiscriminate sitting of water factories. “A number of factories should be determined in each geographical location. Boreholes in high-density areas should be regulated due to waste water, soak-aways and the volume of contaminants in groundwater in such locations,” she said.
On measures the association is taking to combat counterfeited brands of sachet water, she said: “We are presently working on coded symbol and number to differentiate our water from any sachet of water or bottled water in circulation. That would launch very soon”.
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to pursue availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; it appears dry tapes and unwholesome production of an alternative source of potable water are prime factors exposing citizens to water-borne diseases.
Reporting for this story was supported by Code for Africa’s impactAFRICA fund and the Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation.
For Nigeria to grow its economy, it should insist on quality products certified by accredited laboratories, the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) has said.
Its Acting Registrar Duro Abdusalam stated this on Tuesday at the 25th Training Workshop of the institute in Lagos. It had as theme: The role of public analysts in a depressed recessed economy.
He said the cost of circumventing lab analysis was heavy, warning that no government would tolerate it. He said: ”Let’s embrace, vote for, spend on, invest in and rely on laboratory analysis. The cost of circumventing laboratory analysis is dear to pay – loss of revenue, bad image among comity of nations,further improvement and loss of jobs as well as denial of golden opportunities for growth and development of science, technology, etc.”
He said the institute would continue to insist on its core mandate of proper analysis in every sector of the economy, especially in the food and health, to enable Nigerians enjoy its benefits.
Specifically, it praised the Lagos State government for its strides in the water sector, adding that it should also extend same to food. He said: ”It is not only about water, even food – all of us here run the risk of slow death through poisoning from unwholesome food, water, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemically or biologically-based consumer products. The entire population of Nigeria can be saved by investing hugely in lab analysis and ensuring wholesomeness consumer products. The prevalence of strange diseases and resistance of some of these diseases to drugs are all consequences of neglect. They are preventable.”
Adusalam, who pledged the institute’s support for the government, praised it for its collaboration with UNIDO on the execution of the key components of the national Quality Infrastructure Project. ”IPAN spreads its hand of fellowship and is ready and determined to assist the ministry achieve its laudable objectives,” he added.
Hon Tunde Braimoh, who represented the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, praised the theme of the workshop, describing it as apt.
The figure is small. Of the 1000 members of 0the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), only 34 have their laboratories. It was for this reason that the body held a workshop last Thursday in Ikeja, Lagos to train members on how to set up and run their businesses successfully.
Titled: Entrepreneurship and innovation; Creating value beyond the laboratory environment, the two-day event attracted experts from within and outside the institute.
Minister of State for Health Dr Osagie Ehanire, who declared the workshop open, said the government’s efforts were ‘’geared towards creation of employment or targeted at improving the economy, which would obviously translate to better lives for the citizenry, in terms of health and wealth’’. He was represented by the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON) Acting Registrar Mrs Fowotade Kujore.
Drugfield Pharmaceuticals Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, who chaired the occasion Olakunle Ekundayo, said most organisations were built through entrepreneurship. He said those working already have an asset to deploy as entrepreneurs ‘’because you are deeply connected to your work, have passion and excited about your potential’’.
He urged the participants to use their skills to do better things for the society.
The keynote speaker Prof Olufemi Peters said the prosperity of any nation comes from entrepreneurship. He said ideas remain dreams until they are transformed into values, adding that it is innovation that does the pushing.
Peters, the Executive Director, Nigeria Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) asked the IPAN members to add value to whatever they do. He also asked them to learn business skills if they want to succeed.
Founder Sam Ohuabunwa Foundation Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, who presented a paper on the Public analyst entrepreneurial, said there is no short route to success. “You must work hard. Be determined and courageous. Business is not easy otherwise everyone would have been into it. There is no place for lazy men.’’ He advised the public analysts who want to set up their businesses to get mentors, have vision, belief and a plan.
The institute’s Acting Registrar Duro Abdulsalam and the First Vice President Olufemi Oyediran said the 23rd Training Workshop was held to hone the skills of their members in business, adding that by the time another workshop was held, they hoped over 500 members would have established their labs. They said if those they serve were succeeding in their careers, the public analysts should too.
THE Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria(IPAN) will today hold its 23rd Pre-Mandatory Training Workshop in Ikeja, Lagos.
Speaking at a briefing yesterday to announce the event, the institute’s First Vice President Dr Femi Oyediran said the workshop titled: ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ is aimed at honing the skills of members to make them to set up of their laboratories and be able to run them successfully.
He noted the role of public analysts in nation building, adding that many people mistake them for people who write in the newspapers. He said this was not true and that they are graduate-scientists trained to work in labs. ‘’We are mainly restricted to the labs –saving lives and helping enterprises,’’ he said.
He decried the number of public analysts who have their labs, disclosing that it is a mere 35 out of 1,000 professionals. He said one of the aims of the workshop is that the institute would raise the figure to 500. He said there are opportunities for public analysts and that there is room for networking for them.
Food and Drugs Services Director, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Modupe Chukwuma noted the role of professionals in nation building. Talking of the public analyst, he said: ‘’This professional is so important that if you want to do analysis, you must use him, and not quacks. The ministry values the importance of these professionals. In this spirit of change, we appreciate these people.’’
At the event were the institute’s Second Vice President, Prof Olugbenga Ogunmoyela; Acting Registrar, Mr Durosinlorun Abdulsalam and Quality Assurance Laboratory Services, National Agency for Food and Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director, Mrs Olubukola Irurhe.
THE President, Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), Dr Dahiru Adamu, has canvassed support for public analysts.
He said it was wrong for Nigerians to go abroad to test their products and get services when his colleagues were available to do the job.
He spoke at the stakeholders’ meeting of testing laboratory analysts and support services’ providers in Lagos.
He asked: “Why do people run to France or abroad for testing of their products. Don’t we have the professionals in Nigeria? We do. We should address this issue.’’
He said to make his colleagues perform efficiently, they need equipment, trained personnel and good maintenance. He called for collaboration between the government and other stakeholders in the industry. ‘’We need to speak with one voice to move forward,’’ he said.
Citing the ogogoro (alcoholic gin) incidents in Odo Irele in Ondo and Rivers states, which consumption claimed many lives, Adamu said the unfortunate deaths would have been avoided if public analysts were involved in the production process of the drink.
He hoped by the time the changes promised by President Muhammadu Buhari government took effect, they would have spiral effect on the economy, which would, ultimately, create opportunities for professionals.
IPAN’s Acting Registrar Durosinlorun Abdusalam said the meeting was the first by the institute aimed at the growth and development of analytical science and its practice in the country.
He said products’ analyses require huge finance to purchase reagents, and do maintenance, such that only the lion-hearted could stay afloat in the business.
To this end, Abdusalam said his colleagues require information on analytic equipment. “Nothing short of adequate information would give value for money, protect integrity and prosper business,’’ he advised.
Keynote speaker Mrs Mary-Anne Adeeko harped on the imperativeness of laboratories in production and how they could meet global standards. She listed the challenges facing analysts in business as inadequate finance, qualified staff, market selection, among others.
Paper presenters Dr Soal Ojosipe, Messrs Patrick Anyamechulor and Taiwo Elegbede also noted analysts’ problems. They decried the attitude of some government agencies, such as National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) towards them. “It is therefore a herculean task running a private laboratory in Nigeria and comfortably stay afloat,” Anyamechulor, the Kaduna-based analysts added.
The Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) has said that it will begin post market surveillance of regulated consumer products in order to check sproduct adulteration by manufacturers.
This was disclosed by the institute’s Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor David Oluleye, at the opening of the 16th mandatory training workshop which held in Lagos.
The theme of the workshop was “Sampling Techniques and Sample Analysis”.
Oluleye said the institute will collaborate with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Agency (NESRA), among others, in order to checkmate substandard products in the market.
He said the theme of the workshop was carefully selected to highlight the need for public analysts to be more focused on the vital link in the processes of analysis of regulated consumer products which ultimately determines the accuracy of results obtained at the end of the chain.
“The institute is focusing more on these areas in particular and the management of analytical laboratories generally in readiness for expanded regulatory activity in the coming years. My target is to have at least 100 standard laboratories accredited by the institute spread across the federation to handle analysis of regulated products by the end of 2013,” he said.
Oluleye also revealed that the institute has completed the renovation of its research and training laboratory at the secretariat, adding that a committee is being set up to work out the modalities on the use of the facility to assist members in rendering professional service to the industry.
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu said the ministry will help to ensure that the objective is achieved.
“I believe when IPAN and the public analysts function to their full potentials Nigeria will be better for it since the health index shall be positively influenced,” he said.
He said he has directed relevant departments to study the draft scheme of service of public analysts submitted by the institute to enhance the profession of public analysis in the country, while noting that effort are on ground to ensure availability of funds for the completion of IPAN laboratory in Ibafo Ogun State.
The Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) has said that it will begin post market surveillance of regulated consumer products in order to check sproduct adulteration by manufacturers.
This was disclosed by the institute’s Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor David Oluleye, at the opening of the 16th mandatory training workshop which held in Lagos.
The theme of the workshop was “Sampling Techniques and Sample Analysis”.
Oluleye said the institute will collaborate with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Agency (NESRA), among others, in order to checkmate substandard products in the market.
He said the theme of the workshop was carefully selected to highlight the need for public analysts to be more focused on the vital link in the processes of analysis of regulated consumer products which ultimately determines the accuracy of results obtained at the end of the chain.
“The institute is focusing more on these areas in particular and the management of analytical laboratories generally in readiness for expanded regulatory activity in the coming years. My target is to have at least 100 standard laboratories accredited by the institute spread across the federation to handle analysis of regulated products by the end of 2013,” he said.
Oluleye also revealed that the institute has completed the renovation of its research and training laboratory at the secretariat, adding that a committee is being set up to work out the modalities on the use of the facility to assist members in rendering professional service to the industry.
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu said the ministry will help to ensure that the objective is achieved.
“I believe when IPAN and the public analysts function to their full potentials Nigeria will be better for it since the health index shall be positively influenced,” he said.
He said he has directed relevant departments to study the draft scheme of service of public analysts submitted by the institute to enhance the profession of public analysis in the country, while noting that effort are on ground to ensure availability of funds for the completion of IPAN laboratory in Ibafo Ogun State.
