The National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged journalists to collaborate with the agency in the fight against the circulation and use of bleaching creams in the country.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General (D-G), NAFDAC, made the call in Jos on Friday while sensitizing journalists in the North Central States on the dangers of bleaching creams.
The forum was the North Central zonal media sensitization workshop on the dangers of bleaching creams and regulatory controls, organized for the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists.
Adeyeye said the workshop was aimed at educating and challenging health journalists in Nigeria to play a frontline role in the agency’s effort to eradicate the menace of bleaching creams.
The D-G was represented by Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, Director, of Chemical Evaluation and Research of the Agency.
“Bleaching creams damage vital organs in the body, cause skin irritation, allergy, skin burn, rashes, wrinkles, and prolong the healing of wounds.
“Black is beautiful, we don’t need to change our color.
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“NAFDAC will constantly engage the mass media as we strive to bring down to the grass root levels positive impact of our regulatory activities,” she said.
On his part, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, Director, Public Affairs of the Agency, said: “The workshop was meant to educate the mass media with the right information and campaign against the use of bleaching creams in Nigeria.
“Public ignorance is not an excuse before the law. The role of the mass media in the promotion of public health is very important not only for cosmetics and all other NAFDAC regulatory products”.
In a remark, Mr. Hassan Zaggi, President, of the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists, said: “Skin bleaching cream is a serious concern among the citizens in the country.
“Why would somebody use his hard-earned money to buy a cream that will endanger his skin?
“As journalists, we have a responsibility to educate people on the dangers and as well shape the opinion of the people,” Zaggi said.
He appealed to the journalists to pay attention to the workshop for onward circulation of learning outcomes to members of the public.
