NAFDAC sets to clampdown on dealers of illegal bleaching creams

.Says Nigeria ranks highest in use of bleaching creams

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

Dealers and users of illegal bleaching creams in the country may henceforth not find it easy, as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday said it is strategising to sanitise the country of the uses of illegal breaching creams.

The Acting Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, who stated this at the Flag- Off of Media Sensitisation Workshop on Dangers of Bleaching Creams and Regulatory Controls organised for Association of Nigerian Heath Journalists (ANHEJ) in Abuja, said most users of bleaching creams pay deaf ears to the negative and dangerous effects of the product.

The Acting NAFDAC Director General noted that many Asian counties patronise and use bleaching creams, but regretted that Nigeria ranks highest in the use of illegal breaching creams.

She said her agency charged with the responsibility of regulating such product, has commenced sensitisation to enlighten the public on the harmful effects of bleaching creams.

Part of the sensitisation, she said was the training of the health Journalists to help inform and educate the general public on the dangerous effects of bleaching creams.

The Acting Director General, who said the training of health Journalists continues in Lagos on the 14th of December, 2022, further assured that the training would by done in all the zones of the country.

She therefore appealed to the media to partner with the agency in the effort to cub the use of illegal bleaching creams in the country.

In his presentation titled: “Safe Handling of Chemicals and Ingredients in the Cosmetics Industry”, Dr. Leonard Omokpariota, enumerated the hazardous effects of illegal cosmetics use and called for a change in the narratives.

Also, in her presentation titled;

“NAFDAC,’s Regulatory Control of Cosmetics in Nigeria”, the Deputy Director, (DR&,R,) Linda Halim said the agency has lived up to expectation in its mandate of regulating export, import and use of products in the country, urging the general public to join hands with the agency in the effort to rid the nation of the use of illegal products.

Giving a vote of thanks, the president of ANHEJ, Hassan Zaggi urged the management of NAFDAC to do more for Journalists as they continue the work of informing and educating the public on the harmful effects of the use of illegal Cosmetics.