FG inaugurates taskforce to crackdown on toxic beauty products

2026-01-27 - 18:13

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja In a decisive move to protect public health and strengthen regulation in the beauty and personal care industry, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has inaugurated the National Cosmetics Safety Management Technical Working Group (NCSM-TWG), signalling a shift from policy formulation to concrete action on cosmetics safety in Nigeria. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollum, speaking at the inaugural meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, described unsafe cosmetics as “one of the greatest public health threats of the 21st century.” Represented at the event by her Senior Technical Assistant, Dr. Dogara Okara, she warned that poorly regulated cosmetic products, many in daily use, are linked to severe health conditions ranging from skin diseases and discolouration to hormonal disorders, kidney failure and cancer. “You can imagine cosmetic substances containing formaldehyde and heavy metals. These can damage the kidneys, eyes, heart and even cause cancer,” she said, stressing that the human body, being the largest organ, absorbs these toxins repeatedly through daily cosmetic use. The inauguration follows the approval and launch of Nigeria’s National Policy on Cosmetics Safety and Management at the 66th National Council on Health meeting in Calabar in November 2025. The policy establishes a national framework to regulate cosmetic products and introduces a multi-sectoral approach to enforcement, research and consumer protection. The permanent secretary noted that members of the Technical Working Group, drawn from academia, government agencies, NGOs and the private sector, were carefully selected to provide strategic and technical direction for the policy’s implementation over a five-year mandate. The group is tasked with coordinating national cosmetic safety initiatives, advising the government on policy execution, fostering inter-agency collaboration, and initiating new interventions to ensure only safe cosmetic products reach Nigerian consumers. On his part, the Director and Head of the Cosmetics Safety Management Programme, Dr. Paul Okhakhu, described the inauguration as a landmark step in implementing the National Policy on Cosmetics Safety and Health, stressing that cosmetics safety goes far beyond industry compliance and is now firmly recognised as a critical public health concern. He noted that the presence of representatives from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners and industry stakeholders reflected a shared commitment to coordinated, evidence-based and multi-sectoral action aimed at protecting Nigerian consumers. According to him, the newly constituted Technical Working Group was deliberately designed to pool expertise, institutional knowledge and diverse perspectives needed to ensure effective implementation of the national policy on cosmetics safety. “This meeting marks the transition from policy development to practical action,” he said, explaining that the inaugural session would help establish a common understanding of the policy framework, implementation strategy and the specific responsibilities of the Technical Working Group. He said the platform would also foster collaboration, accountability and shared ownership of the task of ensuring that cosmetic products in Nigeria are safe, regulated and fit for consumer use. Adding global weight to the initiative, the World Health Organisation (WHO), through its Country Representative, Dr Pavel Ursu, delivered a goodwill message, read by Dr Edwin Isotu Edeh, who hailed the policy as “pro-health, pro-industry and pro-Africa.” Dr Edeh recounted a field experience in Lagos in which a woman produced skin-lightening products to survive, unaware of the dangers of combining toxic chemicals such as mercury and lead. “She was not a criminal. She did not understand the safety protocols. Yet her actions could compromise generations,” he said, noting that the new policy balances public health protection with economic opportunity across the cosmetics value chain. He praised Nigeria for pioneering a national cosmetic safety policy that aligns with the country’s broader health sector blueprint and strengthens surveillance through hospitals and data systems. Development partners also pledged strong support. Resolve to Save Lives, represented by its Executive Director, Mrs Nanlop Ogburege, in the absence of its Executive Director, Mrs Nanlop Ogburege, commended the government for moving beyond policy formulation to building a strong governance structure for implementation. Industry players echoed similar sentiments. PZ Cussons, through its representative Richard Walker, said the policy would help level the playing field by ensuring all manufacturers adhere to global safety standards. “Safe products must be what consumers have access to. This policy is critical, especially where not all players apply the same regulatory principles,” Walker said. From the regulatory front, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) described the policy journey as long and, at times, contentious. Representing the Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC’s Desk Officer for Cosmetics, Prince Ikenna Nsofor, stressed that implementation, not shelf-stored policies, was the real goal. “Cosmetics are used every day, sometimes twice daily. If not properly formulated, they can be more dangerous than pharmaceuticals,” he warned. He disclosed that no cosmetic product, imported or locally made, now enters the Nigerian market without passing through NAFDAC’s regulatory desk, signalling a tougher enforcement era ahead. With strong backing from government, regulators, global health bodies, development partners and industry leaders, the inauguration of the NCSM-TWG marks a turning point in Nigeria’s fight against unsafe cosmetics, placing consumer health, industry integrity and global best practices firmly at the centre of beauty and personal care. Vanguard News