Lagos moves to enhance regulation of cosmetic products, procedures

The Lagos State Government has taken a step toward strengthening the regulation of cosmetic products and procedures with the presentation of the National Policy on Cosmetics Safety and Health and its Implementation Plan to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said the policy was formally presented during the Exit Meeting of the Lagos State Engagement on the National Policy on Cosmetics Safety and Health.

The meeting, held at the Conference Room of the Lagos State Ministry of Health on Friday, marked the conclusion of a four-day stakeholder engagement that began on Tuesday, March 10, in Ikeja.

Speaking at the meeting, Ogunyemi said the engagement came at a critical time, referencing a recent cosmetic surgery-related death in Lagos that is currently under investigation by the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agemcy

This engagement could not have come at a better time. Only this week, we had an unfortunate incident where a well-known lady died in Lagos following cosmetic surgery,” she said, adding that relevant authorities are investigating the circumstances, including the drugs used and their sources.

Ogunyemi explained that patients’ safety remains a priority for the Lagos State Government, noting that the regulation of cosmetic products and procedures is crucial to protecting citizens.

“When even one person dies, it means something has gone wrong, and we certainly do not want such incidents to happen again,” she said. 

She also assured stakeholders that the state government would ensure effective implementation of the policy across the entire cosmetics value chain, including manufacturers, suppliers, training institutions, and health facilities.

She added that Lagos would continue to set the pace for other states in implementing the policy.

Every journey begins with a step, and today marks an important step in the implementation of this policy,” Poluyi said.

She assured the visiting team that the Lagos State Ministry of Health would ensure that the resolutions reached during the engagement translate into concrete actions, adding that the state remains committed to strengthening cosmetics safety and consumer protection.

The four-day engagement brought together 49 participants from federal and state government agencies, regulatory bodies, academia, industry associations, cosmetology practitioners, civil society organisations and the media to assess the cosmetics safety landscape in Lagos and develop a State Cosmetics Safety Action Plan aimed at protecting public health.

Culled from punch