IN northern Nigeria, a mother cradles her toddler, his face and legs scarred by burns. She is haunted by guilt and regret. Under pressure from her family, she applied skin-lightening creams to all six of her children—decisions she now deeply regrets.
The woman, referred to as Fatima to protect her identity, shared her story with the BBC. She explained how comparisons between her darker-skinned children and her sister’s lighter-skinned children led to feelings of rejection. ‘It hurt my feelings a lot,’ Fatima said, recalling how her mother seemed to favour her sister’s children.
Desperate to gain her mother’s approval, she purchased skin-whitening creams from a local supermarket in Kano, without medical guidance. Initially, the creams seemed to work, as her mother began to warm to her children. But the consequences soon became devastating.
Scars that run deep
Fatima’s children, aged two to sixteen, began suffering severe side effects. Her toddler developed weeping wounds that are slow to heal. One daughter now hides her face in public, ashamed of the burns left behind. Another was left with uneven skin tone, pale circles around her eyes, and whitish scars on her lips and knees.
‘Even though I have stopped, the side effects are still here,’ Fatima told the BBC. She now pleads with other parents to avoid making the same tragic mistake.
Skin bleaching widespread across Nigeria
Nigeria leads Africa in the use of skin-whitening products, with 77 percent of women reportedly using them regularly, according to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), cited by the BBC. Comparatively, usage rates are lower in Congo-Brazzaville (66 percent), Senegal (50 percent), and Ghana (39 percent).
The creams often contain hazardous chemicals such as corticosteroids, hydroquinone, mercury, and kojic acid. When misused, they can cause skin thinning, dermatitis, acne, and serious health conditions like mercury poisoning and kidney damage. The WHO warns that these substances can slow wound healing and increase the risk of infection.
Bleaching babies: an alarming trend
What is particularly concerning is the growing trend of bleaching babies and children. Zainab Bashir Yau, owner of a dermatology spa in Abuja, told the BBC that an estimated 80 percent of women she meets have bleached their children or plan to do so.
‘A lot of people link light skin to beauty or wealth,’ she explained. ‘Women tend to shield their children from discrimination by bleaching them from birth.’ Yau noted that many women were themselves bleached as infants and are now continuing the practice.
Social stigma and discrimination
The consequences of bleaching are not just physical but social. Fatima said her teenage daughters, 16 and 14, were stigmatised because of the visible effects on their skin, such as dark knuckles. ‘People pointed fingers at them, calling them drug addicts,’ she said. Both girls lost potential marriage proposals due to the assumption that they were drug users—a common misconception tied to the physical signs of skin bleaching.
A market flooded with dangerous products
During a visit to a Kano market, BBC journalists found a thriving trade in skin-whitening products. Vendors, known as ‘mixologists’, offer pre-mixed creams or create custom blends on demand. Despite regulations, many openly use restricted substances like kojic acid, hydroquinone, and glutathione.
Some customers, unaware of the risks, request strong lightening agents for their children. One mother, whose own hands were badly discoloured from years of using these products, insisted on creams for her children. ‘Nothing will happen to my children,’ she told the BBC, blaming her own problems on using the ‘wrong’ cream.
The approved limit for kojic acid in Nigeria is 1 percent, according to the country’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac). However, some sellers admitted to exceeding these limits dramatically. The BBC even witnessed salesmen providing injections to women in their pursuit of faster results.
Nafdac declares a state of emergency
In response to the growing crisis, Nafdac declared a state of emergency in 2023. Dr Leonard Omokpariola, a director at Nafdac, told the BBC that raids are underway at markets, and efforts to seize illegal skin-lightening products are intensifying at Nigeria’s borders.
Despite these efforts, enforcement remains difficult. ‘Some of them are transported in unlabelled containers,’ Dr Omokpariola explained. ‘Without lab testing, it’s impossible to know what’s inside.’
Cultural beliefs fuel dangerous choices
The skin-bleaching crisis in Nigeria runs deeper than dangerous products. It stems from societal pressures and long-standing cultural beliefs equating lighter skin with beauty, success, and higher social status.
Women like Fatima are often driven to bleach their children’s skin in hopes of securing their futures. Yet, the physical, emotional, and social damage far outweighs any perceived benefits.
A plea for awareness and change
Fatima’s story is a cautionary tale. ‘When I confided in my mother about what I did and she heard about the dangers, she was sad and apologised,’ Fatima said. ‘But I can’t undo the damage.’
She now works to educate others, urging parents not to fall into the same trap. ‘Use my situation as an example,’ she pleads.
Breaking the cycle of harm
Nigeria’s skin bleaching crisis is both a public health emergency and a cultural issue. Until harmful beauty standards are challenged and dismantled, families will continue to face pressure to conform—often at great personal cost.
Efforts by Nafdac and public health campaigns are crucial, but the conversation must also shift. Education, advocacy, and cultural change are key to breaking this dangerous cycle and protecting future generations.
