THE Nigerian Senate wants the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to monitor consumer injuries arising from the use of cosmetics.
The Senate resolved to mandate these government agencies to carry out this task during a plenary session on Tuesday following a motion moved by Remi Tinubu, Senator representing Lagos Central.
According to Tinubu, there was a need for the NAFDAC to regulate the formation and distribution of cosmetics in Nigerian markets.
Matthew Urhoghide, Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, said many Nigerian users did not know the content of their cosmetics, stressing that the industry must be regulated and monitored.
“I rise to support this motion ably moved by Senator Remi Tinubu. Cosmetics generally are preparations that we call creams, lotions, solutions and ointment. A lot of the users do not know their content. They use them as a cosmetic products on their skin.
“There is a need for regulation. NAFDAC now needs to go deeply into the market so that they will know the ones to go into our market and the one that should not,” Urhoghide said.
Following contributions from other Senators, the Senate resolved to direct NAFDAC and the FCCPC to collaborate towards ensuring the tracking of consumer injury.
The Senate also resolved to mandate the Committee on Health to investigate the procedures in place for certification of quality and safety of cosmetics and propose a way forward for accountability.
Also, the Senators directed NAFDAC to maintain a products database, showing name and address of manufacturers and ingredients list, urging the commission to embark on sensitisation and awareness campaign on the ills of such harmful substances.
In some part of the world, citizens have been warned against taking some cosmetics products due to the discovery of toxic chemicals in them.
Efforts to reach the NAFDAC proved abortive as calls and messages sent to the commission’s spokesperson, Jimoh Abubakar was not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94