Stakeholders have lamented the hazardous effect of mercury on Skin Lightening Products (SLP), declaring a zero tolerance on its importation through online means.
The stakeholders made the declaration at a one-day sectoral workshop on awareness and capacity building towards the phase-out of mercury in SLP and enforcement to control illegal online sales.
The workshop organised by Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev) under the auspices of European Environmental Bureau (EEB) themed: “Towards Strengthening Enforcement of Phasing-out Mercury-Added Products (MAPs) in Nigeria with focus on SLP, had in attendance officials of Lagos State Ministry of Environment, state’s Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) among others.
The workshop aimed to create awareness among key stakeholders and strengthen the capacity of the Federal Government to implement and enforce the provisions of the Minamata convention on mercury, particularly in SLPs.
Executive Director, SRADev, Dr. Leslie Adogame, explained that when mercury is added into a cream, it takes away the melanin component of the skin and exposes the skin to danger.
He lamented that skin lightening creams have been impregnated with mercury, which is a dangerous neurotoxin deadly chemical.
“When mercury penetrates the skin into the blood tissues, people suffer from dangerous health problems like reproductive health problems, neurological problems, still birth and other problems associated with mercury. It is a major killer,” he lamented.
Leslie said: “We have regulated and adopted zero tolerance on mercury in SLPs, which made the products to be taken off the shelves of supermarkets. We now found a new trade, online trade e-commerce platforms selling cosmetics with mercury and for the past four to five years, we have been sampling online, buying and testing and found out that the story has not changed.”
Leslie added that a standard has to be set for the e-commerce companies, noting that it is the job of the government and not for the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
NAFDAC Director General, Dr. Moji Adeyeye, represented by Deputy Director, Evaluation and Research, Lagos, Dr. Hotton Anthony, said mercury is the subject matter in the heart of NAFDAC since inception, adding that it has promised a zero tolerance on all cosmetic products since 2022 even before the birth of Minamata convention.
He noted that any NAFDAC registered cosmetics has zero mercury approval. Anthony said products with mercury are imported into the country through online means of sales of which is a global menace.
His words: “The Act established that any product that is not registered by NAFDAC is fake. So, these online cosmetic products they are trading in the country with mercury are fake products by definition of the law. “
