The multi-billion-dollar cosmetics industry centered around skin lightening has long thrived in Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa. However, in a decisive move earlier this year, Moji Adeyeye, Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, sounded the alarm by categorizing the practice as a “national health emergency.” This declaration comes as a response to the well-documented health risks associated with skin lightening, which include diabetes, hypertension, neuropathy, and hepatic or renal toxicity, among others.
Skin lightening products, ranging from creams to lotions, have permeated various segments of Nigerian society. While they have legitimate medical applications for treating specific pigmentary disorders, their more significant market presence is as cosmetics, targeting individuals who believe that achieving a lighter skin tone will lead to enhanced opportunities in life, love, or employment. This belief is often driven by deeply entrenched cultural biases and discrimination against individuals with darker skin.
Neighboring Ghana has also witnessed the proliferation of these products, prompting the Food and Drugs Authority to issue a public warning. This warning specifically addressed the use of skin lightening agents in the form of pills and tablets, which some consumers, including pregnant women, have turned to with the misguided belief that it would lighten the skin of their unborn babies. The persistent misconception that lighter skin equates to improved social and economic prospects continues to drive demand among parents for these products.
Skin lightening, while a recognized medical intervention in certain cases, has burgeoned into a massive cosmetic industry in Africa and Asia, catering to individuals across various socioeconomic brackets. This industry’s substantial growth trajectory poses a considerable challenge for governments and regulatory bodies tasked with addressing the associated health hazards and cultural underpinnings that sustain its popularity.
