The Bida Local Council in Niger State has shut down an ice cream production facility over alleged hygiene lapses, lack of required operating licences and failure to obtain registration from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
 
According to the council, its environmental department discovered several hygiene concerns during an inspection of the facility near the Federal Polytechnic area of Bida, including flies in the mixture used for ice cream production.
 
In a statement issued to journalists in Minna, the council’s spokesperson, Aliyu Umar, said the products were also found without labels, making it difficult to identify their contents and trace their sources.
 
The statement further claimed that laboratory analysis of substances used in production revealed a lack of nutritional value and the presence of substances considered potentially harmful to human health.
 
However, the council did not provide details of the substances identified or the laboratory findings in the statement.
 
The council said it halted production and evacuated the equipment and other materials used at the facility after the factory managers reportedly confirmed that they were operating without the required licences and NAFDAC registration numbers.
 
According to the statement, the enforcement action followed complaints from residents who alerted the council chairman, Usman Mohammad Manko, Danmajen Nupe, to the facility’s operations.
 
The statement added that vendors reportedly gathered at the facility every morning to purchase ice cream for distribution and sale across Bida, raising concerns among local authorities about the potential implications for public health.
 
Speaking during the operation, the council’s Supervisory Councillor for Health and Social Welfare, Ahmed Danladi, said the council was committed to protecting public health by ensuring that food and beverages sold to residents were produced under hygienic conditions and in compliance with applicable regulations.
 
Danladi said the council chairman remained committed to protecting the health and well-being of Bida residents. He added that appropriate action would be taken against individuals and businesses found producing food and drinks illegally or violating public health and environmental regulations.
 
He urged residents to report suspicious food production and distribution practices to the relevant authorities as the council intensifies efforts to promote public health and environmental safety across Bida.