The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has raised the alarm about the proliferation of “dangerous” and “unregulated” bleaching creams in the market. The agency warned of the danger on Wednesday during a one‑day workshop for media stakeholders in Enugu State titled “The Dangers of Bleaching Creams and Regulatory Controls.”
Delivering the opening address, the agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, was represented by the Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Patrick Omokpariola. He stated, “It is imperative for me to warn that some of the harmful effects of bleaching creams include cancer, damage to vital organs, skin irritation and allergy, burns and rashes, wrinkles, premature skin ageing, and prolonged healing of wounds.” He urged Nigerian women to be proud of their skin colour, adding, “There’s no need to bleach.”
A World Health Organization 2018 study revealed that the use of skin‑bleaching creams was prevalent among 77 % of Nigerian women—the highest rate in Africa—compared with 59 % in Togo, 35 % in South Africa, and 27 % in Senegal. “This scary statistic shows that the menace of bleaching creams in Nigeria has become a national health emergency that requires a multi‑faceted regulatory approach,” he said. Part of that approach includes consultative and sensitisation meetings such as this workshop, as well as heightened raids on distribution outlets.
The Director General noted that the sensitisation workshop fulfills her promise to cascade similar events to the six geopolitical zones of the country. This deliberate strategy aims to mobilise, educate, and challenge Nigerian health journalists to play a frontline role in the concerted effort to eradicate the menace of bleaching creams and prevent the needless waste of scarce resources in Nigeria.
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