While some countries like Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Rwanda are banning skin lightening products from their countries, in Nigeria women cannot afford to have these products scrapped off the shelves and the so-called ‘’melanin movement” might not succeed.
Statistics show that more than 76 million people in Nigeria use skin lightening products regularly, making Africa’s most populous country the capital for skin bleaching.
While Some ladies reject the trend, claiming that their natural dark skin is beautiful, Nigeria remains a huge market for skin-whitening products.
This is what a twenty-five-year-old Nigerian model and actress Goodness Ben had to say about skin lightening products.
She visits a cosmetic shop in Abuja and she wants to be famous and says bleaching her skin could increase her chances at getting more movie roles.
“Yes this is Nigeria, fair skin is a business. In the movie industry most times the director wants you to like glow, in fact, you should be camera friendly’’.
In 2011, the World Health Organization estimated that 76 million Nigerians, mostly women, use skin-lightening products regularly.
The Melanin Movement
Some darker-skinned Nigerians are against the idea that lighter is better. They say black is beautiful with the so-called “Melanin Movement.”
Hear what some proud dark women had to say about skin lightening.
Tina Ohanu says she doesn’t need to bleach her skin.
“My confidence really doesn’t come from my skin, it comes from within… and I still get as much attention from the male folks as every other lady should, so I don’t think it has anything to do with my confidence,” “Bleaching products usually contain hydroquinone, corticosteroids or mercury as key ingredients. These chemicals could have a range of side effects when used regularly, according to skin experts”, Ohanu said.
“You can have stretch marks, the skin becomes fragile, doesn’t heal properly, sometimes you can have…some of them can give you abnormal skin odor, abnormal odor, excessive sweating, poor wound healing…so, and then it ages faster,” Haroun said.
Nigeria joined South Africa in barring those with harmful chemicals. While this movement help promote natural and healthy skin tone, however,It continues to be dwarfed by African’s demand for skin-lightening products.