By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised the alarm over a proliferation of “dangerous” and “unregulated” skin bleaching creams in the market, which it likened to a pandemic.
The agency made this known on Tuesday during its Media Sensitization Workshop on the Dangers of Bleaching Creams and Regulatory Controls event held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 77 per cent of women in Nigeria use skin-lightening products. This number is even higher in other countries like Togo (88 per cent), South Africa (80 per cent), and Senegal (59 per cent).
Although Nigeria does not have legislation against skin bleaching yet, other countries like Rwanda and Ghana have issued bans on skin-lightening products.
The Director General of the agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, further lamented the health threats accompanying long term use of dangerous agents and urged Nigerian women to be proud of their skin colour.
She declared that, “There’s no need to bleach.”
Mrs Adeyeye, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr Patrick Leonard Omokpariola, stated that the products are now marketed under different names for sales purposes.
NAFDAC Deputy Director, Mr Ebele Anto, also canvassed the support of the media to sensitise Nigerians to the notion that there is nothing wrong with being dark-skinned.
The event was also attended by security agencies and other stakeholders in the cosmetic industry.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Modupe Gbadeyanka