sweet_gala: This report is seriously flawed, both mathematically and in every other way conceivable.
Like one previous poster wrote the notion that 70% (105-110 million) of Nigerians if we take the population to be about 150 million use and abuse bleaching creams is absurd. Tura and similar products would lead the polls as the most widely available and used type of toning soap and I don't think 105 million of the world's Finest Citizens use them(it's a sales figure Tura manufacturers can only dream of).

Now we have been told the Northern parts accounts for 50% of our population of 150 million so they must have a lion's share of this figure, so can any sane Nigerian picture a northerner spending his/her precious funds on tura or expensive bleaching creams.
I can't picture some foreigners patrolling the streets of kano/kaduna to compile a report and if they left Nigerians to do such task they(W.H.O) should go get their money back.

bayooooooo: Yellow fever!

Danka7777: IBB don turn half caste! Analyze both pictures

PhysicsQED: I don't know why people just believe some of the statistics that some organizations cook up. 50% of statistics anywhere are bullsh1t (I know this is also a statistic, but pretend it's from the good 50%).

Only a completely insane or mentally ill person would claim that "over 77 percent" of Nigerians use bleaching creams on a regular basis. I would be surprised if it were even up to 5%.

The use of skin lightening creams has become a socially acceptable phenomenon widely practised by both men and women in Lagos, Nigeria. Four hundred and fifty traders were selected to ascertain the extent of this practice and what socio-cultural and economic factors determine the use of these cosmetics.[b] Prevalence of use of skin lightening cosmetics was 77.3% comprising ninety-six males (27.6%) and two hundred and fifty two females (72.4%). The trend cuts across all socioeconomic strata, age, sex and marital status. [/b]Hydroquinolone based products were the most commonly used products although cortico-steroids and mercury-based products were also widely used. Of eleven dermatological side effects that were reported, exogenous ochronosis was the commonest. Recommendations on how to correct this ill in the society have been proffered.

The use of skin lightening ‘bleaching' agents has adverse effects on the skin. Cosmetic manufacturers in the country in advertising their products have exploited beautification with the use of these “bleaching” agents. The resultant increase in the use of these agents is likely to lead to a concomitant rise in the incidence of their adverse effects. The focus of this study is therefore to determine the prevalence of the use of skin lightening agents. This cross-sectional study was carried out among 385 University of Benin undergraduates. A multi-stage sampling method was used to select the students. Data was collected using pre-designed questionnaire. The study showed that 64.9% of the respondents used skin lightening agents in their soaps, body cream or facial cream. Hydroquinone based products was the most commonly used product. More females (70.7%) bleached than the males (52.2%). This difference was found to be statistically significant. Recommendations have been made including adding lectures on health implication of the usage of skin lightening agents to the curriculum of all students in Nigeria. This study has shown a high prevalence of the use of skin lightening agents among undergraduates in Benin City, Edo State,Nigeria.

In the African setting, cosmetic usage for the dark skinned is chiefly directed toward attempting to change one's skin color, and this has been a longstanding practice. Skin lightening or skin toning creams exist in Africa, and products produced for other purposes are used to lighten the skin, e.g., steroids. Steroids are anti-inflammatory agents used for the treatment of steroid responsive skin disorders.' Treatment of skin diseases was revolutionized with the advent of these anti-inflammatory corticosteroids. However, their use as skin lighteners is widespread, and complications arising from them have not been extensively documented in our environment in comparison to well-described complications from prolonged usage of hydroquinone leading to exogenous ochronosis2 and nephrotic syndrome secondary to mercurial.3

Biggyd2: What in the name of anything good is this? I thought the young should learn from the old. This is 'a whole Alaafin' abi

damilola15:
Heheheheee, I thought his mom was half albino and his dad just fair complexioned.

IMO that 77 % of Nigerians use such products on regular basis might be true but I suppose most of the 77 % don't know those products are bleaching products.

I'd better start using "oshe dudu".

EzeUche: We all know that the Yorubas are the reason why Nigeria is one of the top users in the world for bleaching creams.

Ejiné: I know for sure Alao-Akala is responsible for 97% of its usage in Nigeria.

dafman10: Alao Akala heads d body of bleachers in Nigeria. He just confirmed it.

coolzeal: Nigerians cannot be the top users of bleaching cream since we don't have skin colorism syndrome , the statics is bogus and fictitious: what about Indians and do you know how pale skinned is treasured in Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Arab nations etc. The lighter you're the best you're accepted in those societies. Truly i don't really see more of Nigerians using bleaching cream. The funny part is nobody is talking about how the white people are busy roasting their skin all in the name of tan to get slightly darker, heck causing SKIN CANCER..

Biggyd2: What in the name of anything good is this? I thought the young should learn from the old. This is 'a whole Alaafin' abi

www.nairaland.com/attachments/735784_alaafin_jpg9b363698f3d2a80778faba4dcb19f71a

kagel: [b]what of Ghanians almost all them bleaches but why Nigerians this time can we be seen as the best in things that
makes scene and not nonsense

eGuerrilla:

As I was just as curious as you are about the origin of these figures, I did some further digging.
What I found, surprisingly enough, is that the two articles cited time and again - no matter where I looked - were actually written by Nigerians.

Although I find it worrying that WHO directly substituted Lagos for Nigeria in this instance (as it did in the case of other capitals like Pretoria, Bamako and Dakar), @Nairaland commentariat, do we at least agree the underlying trend here portends a problem?


Adebajo, S. B. (n.d.). An epidemiological survey of the use of cosmetic skin lightening cosmetics among traders in Lagos, Nigeria. West African Journal of Medicine, 21(1), 51–55.


Ofili, A. N., Eze, E. U., & Onunu, A. N. (2006). Prevalence of use of skin lightening agents amongst University of Benin undergraduates in Benin City, Nigeria. Nigerian Medical Practitioner, 49(1), 24–27.


Nnoruka, E., & Okoye, O. (2006). Topical steroid abuse: its use as a depigmenting agent. Journal of the National Medical Association, 98(6), 934.