• by IPS Correspondents (lagos)
• Thursday, December 15, 1994
• Inter Press Service

LAGOS, Dic 15 (IPS) - IN NIGERIA'S COMMERCIAL CAPITAL WOMEN ARE USING STEROIDS AND BLEACHING CREAMS TO MEET NEW FASHION TRENDS WHERE BEING PLUMP AND LIGHT-SKINNED IS NOW "EN VOGUE".

AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BORN THAT WAY. IN FACT, AS UNNATURAL AS POSSIBLE, THE BETTER -- WHICH HAS RESULTED IN MANY WOMEN MAKING USE OF THE DRUGS AND CREAMS.

STEROIDS, WHICH DEVELOPS MUSCLES -- BUT ALSO HAS A TENDENCY TO MAKE USERS LOOK FAT -- IS BEING SOLD OVER CHEMIST COUNTERS, IN LAGOS, WHERE MANY OTHER DRUGS CAN ALSO BE BOUGHT WITHOUT A DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION.

"YOU SEE, I WAS VERY SKINNY AND ALL MY FRIENDS USED TO MAKE FUN OF ME. I BEGAN TO USE A (STEROID) TABLET WHICH MADE ME BIGGER. I LIKE MY SIZE NOW BECAUSE IT HAS EARNED ME MORE PRESTIGE," SAYS 30-YEAR-OLD FRANSISCA SOWUNMI.

IN THIS SPRAWLING METROPOLIS OF MORE THAN 10 MILLION PEOPLE, BEING 'BIG' EARNS YOU MORE RESPECT THAN HAVING A SMALL STATURE, SHE EXPLAINS.

FRANSISCA, JUST 1.52-METRE TALL, WEIGHED JUST 40 KGS UNTIL RECENTLY. SHE HAS GAINED ANOTHER 25 KGS SINCE SHE STARTED USING THE "PILLS" RECOMMENDED BY HER FRIENDS, WHO ALSO USE THEM.

LAGOS WOMEN, LIKE FRANSISCA AND HER FRIENDS, ARE ALSO USING SKIN BLEACHING CREAMS TO LIGHTEN THEIR COLOURING AND 'COMPLIMENT' THEIR WEIGHT.

"I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH BLEACHING. AT FIRST, WHEN MY SKIN REACTED TO THE (BLEACHING) SOAP I USED, I THOUGHT I SHOULD STOP. BUT I JUST CAN'T ANYMORE. I FEEL HORRIBLE WITHOUT BLEACHING," SAYS WEMIMO AJALA.

IN 1989, THE GOVERNMENT OF FORMER PRESIDENT IBRAHIM BABANGIDA, BANNED THE SALE OF CREAMS AND SOAPS THAT CONTAIN MERCURY AND SIMILAR CONCENTRATES WHICH AS WELL AS BLEACHING THE SKIN CAN ALSO BURN IT.

HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCTS ARE STILL SOLD IN MARKET PLACES, CHEMISTS AND SHOPS.

"EVERYWHERE YOU TURN YOU SEE THESE DRUGS OR CREAMS. BANNING ALONE CANNOT STOP PEOPLE FROM BLEACHING OR USING STEROIDS. WHAT WE NEED IS FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP ALLOWING PEOPLE TO IMPORT THEM," SAYS SIKIRU OKEDIYA, A LAGOS TRADER.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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