By Halima Olufadi and Nafisat Abdulrahman
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), in collaboration with the Tropics Derma Research and Training Institute (TDRTI) and other stakeholders in the healthcare sector, has held a follow up stakeholder meeting aimed at reviewing and validating the Draft National Strategy on Innovation and Technological Advancement in the Cosmetics and Skincare Sector.
The review and validation meeting, which held on 15th December, 2025, at the Council’s headquarters in Abuja, followed an earlier stakeholder engagement on the draft framework for the sector held in November. At the session, stakeholders reviewed the document which had earlier been reviewed from a policy to a national strategy, in line with its scope and implementation focus.
The engagement was coordinated by the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Development Department of the Council under the leadership of its Director, Mr. Abubakar Kollere, in collaboration with TDRTI, as part of RMRDC’s efforts to promote research driven industrial development in the skincare and cosmetics sector.
A consultant on the project, Dr. K.B Ajoku, while speaking on the purpose of the strategy said Nigeria’s cosmetics and skincare sector is a fast growing industry built on long standing indigenous beauty practices and changing consumer needs. He explained that the sector includes products such as creams, soaps, hair treatments, makeup and herbal formulations, many of which are produced by small and medium scale enterprises and informal manufacturers.
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According to him, the national strategy aims to strengthen the sector by promoting research and innovation, improving product safety and quality, and creating a clear and workable framework that supports local production and reduces dependence on imports.
Explaining the outcome of the validation meeting, a consultant on the project Dr. Emma Evbodaghe said the draft strategy would return to the drawing board to address all inputs, particularly issues relating to mandate overlap and regulatory scope. He stressed the need to remove provisions relating directly to health regulation, in order to avoid conflict and ensure that the strategy remains implementable.
The consultant also emphasized the importance of maintaining an inclusive framework that accommodates research institutions, universities and relevant ministries, noting that excluding key actors could weaken funding, research capacity and implementation. According to him, the engagement is about identifying areas of collaboration that would move the sector forward.
He added that with the right strategic direction and effective execution, Nigeria could reduce its dependence on imported cosmetics by up to 30 percent within four to five years, retaining significant economic value within the local economy.
By way of conclusion, Director, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Development Department, RMRDC, Mr. Abubakar Kollere said the consultants would further revise the document to reflect stakeholder inputs, after which the updated draft would be circulated for review ahead of another round of engagement. He added that a subsequent meeting, either physical or virtual, would be convened to enable consensus and eventual validation.
He further explained that once validated, the strategy would be forwarded to the parent ministry and subsequently presented to the National Council on Innovation, Science and Technology for consideration.
The engagement brought together key public and private sector stakeholders such as the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Federal Ministry of Health and Social welfare, Dermatologists Association of Nigeria, with several others joining virtually.
