The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down a private rice factory in Niger State due to unhygienic practices.

During a routine inspection of facilities in the state, Shaba Mohammed, Director of NAFDAC’s North-Central Zone, revealed that although the facility was registered with the agency, it failed to maintain a clean production environment and did not adhere to good manufacturing practices.

“The rice processing facility has been sealed and given compliance directives for not complying with the instant regulations for which they were given to produce and certification.

“The place is unhygienic and they are not doing production according to good manufacturing practice,” Mohammed stated.

He further noted that the inspection uncovered that some key workers at the facility lacked adequate knowledge in production processes, which contributed to the substandard practices.

In light of the findings, Mohammed urged small and medium enterprises to utilize the Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS), which is an e-registration and data capture system that offers an online medium for applying for product registration with NAFDAC, streamlining interactions with the agency.

He also called on the general public to report any activities that could pose a threat to public health and safety to NAFDAC.