A picture shows the feet of a patient who uses the injectable “Kenacort” corticosteroid to lighten her skin (Photo by SIA KamboU / AFP).
The Director‑General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has vowed that the agency will adopt a multifaceted approach to enforce regulatory control and eliminate the distribution and use of harmful bleaching creams and cosmetics in the country. She disclosed this while declaring open the “media sensitisation workshop on dangers of bleaching creams and regulatory control” for the South‑South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Adeyeye, represented by Leonard Omokpariola, NAFDAC’s Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, said the regulatory measures will include raids and clampdowns on promoters and users of bleaching creams and related items.
The agency will commence action after concluding its awareness campaign on the harmful effects of bleaching creams across the six geo‑political zones, stressing that the menace has become a national emergency. Adeyeye warned that some of the harmful effects of bleaching creams include, but are not limited to, cancer, damage to vital organs, skin irritation and allergy, rashes, pimples, permanent skin aging, and prolonged nosebleeds.
A 2018 World Health Organization study revealed that the use of skin‑bleaching creams was prevalent among 77 % of Nigerian women—the highest in Africa—compared with 59 % in Togo, 35 % in South Africa and 27 % in Senegal. This alarming statistic shows that the bleaching‑cream menace in Nigeria has become a national emergency requiring a multifaceted approach. Part of this approach includes consultative and sensitisation meetings, such as the one currently underway, and raids on distribution outlets. In addition, NAFDAC will implement other regulatory actions to stem the tide of harmful cosmetics and bleaching creams.
The NAFDAC boss appealed to all stakeholders, particularly the media, to support the agency’s effort to halt the menace of bleaching cosmetics and safeguard Nigerians’ health. Earlier, the acting Zonal Director of NAFDAC, South‑South, Chike Obiano, said the anti‑bleaching campaign would be disseminated to the grassroots to drive the message home across the region. He decried the negative health impacts of skin‑bleaching products and stressed the agency’s determination to eradicate the challenge. Obiano urged participants to take ownership of the fight against skin‑bleaching creams and cosmetics, noting that NAFDAC alone could not achieve the target.
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