Maraaz 
Millions of people in Nigeria prefer skin whitening to look “more beautiful”. Despite warnings from WHO and activists, people continue to use bleach. The price of the products can go up to $ 200.
In Nigeria, the country with the highest population in Africa, many women and men resort to skin whitening treatments to “look more beautiful”. Despite the warnings of healthcare professionals and activists that the procedures are dangerous and the publicity of the issue through various campaigns. Skin whitening in the country has become a part of people’s daily life.
In order to buy skin whitening products that not only women but also men show great interest, even basic needs can be abandoned.
Pregnant women in the country use various medicines in the hope that their unborn child will be white. Some women file for divorce on the grounds that their spouses cannot buy skin whitening products.
In the country where skin color is very important, the superstition that “White is God’s will, if black is the will of the devil”, which is present in some cultures, creates the perception that light skinned people are “better, superior”.
According to the data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2011, 77.3 percent of women in Nigeria regularly use skin whitening products. Of the African countries, 59 percent of women in Togo, 35 percent in South Africa and 27 percent in Senegal use various chemical products for skin whitening.
