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Minister warns against skin bleaching by African women
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, has expressed the need to revive the “Black is Beautiful” movement, celebrating Afrocentric beauty and dismantling harmful beauty standards.
Salako spoke at the regional awareness-raising workshop on eliminating lightening cosmetic products held in Gabon.
In a speech made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday, the minister called on influencers, celebrities, and community leaders to advocate for natural beauty and self-acceptance, challenging the myths surrounding lighter skin.
“Through collaborative efforts, we can address the root causes of skin-bleaching practices and promote healthier and more inclusive attitudes toward beauty,” he said.
He identified Nigeria as the “world capital” of skin bleaching, citing a World Health Organisation (WHO) report that 77 per cent of Nigerian women use skin-lightening products.
He said that other studies and surveys corroborated the high prevalence of skin bleaching in Nigeria.
He shared findings from the ministry’s Cosmetics Safety Management Programme (CSMP), which revealed that 52 per cent of manufacturers incorporate skin-lightening agents into their products.
Salako pointed out that many individuals substitute the term “toning” for bleaching, mistakenly considering it less harmful or entirely safe.
He emphasised the severe health risks posed by Skin-Lightening Products (SLPs), which often contain hazardous substances such as mercury, hydroquinone, steroids, and heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and cadmium.
“These substances can cause skin damage, organ toxicity, neurological complications, and cancer.
“The widespread use of SLPs in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, highlights the urgent need for targeted public health campaigns, stricter regulatory enforcement, and community-driven advocacy to combat the practice,” he said.
Salako commended the health ministry and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for their proactive measures.
He listed such measures to nclude the 2019 Cosmetic Products (Prohibition of Bleaching Agents) Regulations, which prohibit harmful skin-bleaching agents like mercury, and limit hydroquinone concentration to two per cent.
“The CSMP has carried out sensitisation campaigns, grassroots advocacy, and training programmes to raise awareness about the dangers of skin bleaching.
“The government is also developing a guideline on the safety assessment of cosmetic products to strengthen regulatory oversight and ensure that all products meet international safety standards, ” he said.
NAN reports that Africa is fast becoming a hotspot for the usage of skin-lightening product.
According to a 2023 WHO fact sheet, the prevalence of skin bleaching among women varies across Africa.
“25 per cent of women in Mali use such products; 32 per cent in South Africa, 39 per cent in Ghana, 50 per cent in Senegal, and 66 per cent in Congo-Brazzaville,” it said.
The WHO report said that 77 per cent of women in Nigeria consumed the products, making it the highest globally.
This trend is driven by societal pressures linking lighter skin to beauty, success, and wealth.
While several African countries, including Ghana, South Africa, and Mali, have banned SLPs, weak enforcement allows the products to flood markets across the continent.(NAN)
A coalition of youth organisations has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to reconsider its wanted tag on socialite, Dr Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, OFR.
The organisations, Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative said this in a joint press statement they issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to them, the declaration of Achimugu wanted by the anti-corruption agency came to them as a rude shock.
The joint statement was signed by Comrade Emma Niboro and Ali Ameh for Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative, respectively.
They described Achimugu as a dedicated friend of the youths, who had always shown commitment to the welfare and care of the downtrodden.
According to the youth coalition, “we know the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, as a man who came with utmost zeal to sanitize the agency. He has already demonstrated this and we are proud of his achievements so far.
“However, we urge him to resist pressure from politicians, which is a plague that has dwarfed EFCC for several years of its existence.
“The commission had hitherto remained a tool for politicians to undue their perceived political foes and this has always rubbed off on the credibility of the agency.
“The case of Achumugu doesn’t appear to be different in any way, as the haste with which she was declared wanted showed there is a hand of Esau and voice of Jacob.
“Our appeal is that the commission should withdraw the wanted tag on her and give her ample time to report to the commission, as she has never been indicted of any offence whether in Nigeria or outside the country.”
While noting that Achimugu is a global figure, they added that they can always vouch for her integrity.
“We know her, she has always been of immense help to the youths and other members of the society.
“Her closeness to certain politicians should not be used as a tool to persecute or harass her,” the youths further stated.
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.