The Documentary Podcast, The Fifth Floor: Tackling Nigeria's skin bleaching problem

The Documentary Podcast

The Fifth Floor: Tackling Nigeria's skin bleaching problem

April 26, 2025

24 minutes

Available for over a year

According to the World Health Organisation, 77% of Nigerian women have used skin-lightening creams. When BBC Hausa’s Madina Maishanu decided to look into this, she uncovered an even more worrying trend: mothers using potentially harmful products on their babies. Madina spoke to the campaigners trying to stop these practices. Plus, how human activities and climate change are threatening shea trees in Uganda with Njoroge Muigai from BBC Africa.

Presented by Faranak Amidi

Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)