By Ahmed Rahma
In line with a motion on the need for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to move swiftly to regulate the production and distribution of cosmetics, the Senate, on Tuesday, resolved to put an end to the circulation of fake and substandard cosmetics, mandating the committee on Health to investigate the procedure for quality and safety certification.
It also charged the committee to propose a way forward on enforcing safety compliance on the motion which was sponsored by member of the chamber, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu.
The Senate, in its resolution, directed NAFDAC to rise to the occasion by regulating importation, formulation and sale of cosmetics in the country.
It also directed the agency to maintain a products database, showing names and addresses of manufacturers and ingredients list.
The lawmakers further mandated NAFDAC to embark on sensitisation and awareness campaigns on the ills of these harmful substances.
The Senate called for collaboration between NAFDAC and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC) to ensure they track consumer injury.
Mrs Tinubu, in her lead debate, said studies have shown that, depending on ingredients, a substantial amount of products applied topically to the skin are absorbed into the bloodstream.
She observed that the side effects of the harmful substances may include skin damage, kidney failure, liver failure, breathing problems, poor wound healing, scars and skin cancer amongst others.
