The Ogun State chapter of the Association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP) says over 20 per cent of its members shut down production between January and June due to poor infrastructure.

Babatunde Lawal, the state chairman of ATWAP, told journalists on Monday in Ota, Ogun, that the affected members were unable to continue production due to a lack of critical infrastructure, which militated against their business.

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

He said some challenges, such as increased fuel prices and general hikes in raw materials, also resulted in increased vehicle repair and production costs 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.

Mr 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.

(NAN)