Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Government has hinted at plans to regulate spa parlours across the state following a rising number of health complications.
This was made known by the Director General of the Lagos Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, during a seminar organised by the commission on Monday, under the theme, “Ethical Practices in the Beauty and Spa Industry”.
The Director General, who was represented by the Technical Adviser to the commission, Seun Awojobi, noted that there is a need for stricter regulation and ethical compliance in the industry.
Mojola added that the state was responding to a worrying trend of incidents involving the misuse of chemicals, health complications, and reports of sexual harassment in some beauty establishments.
The Director General said, “For us at the Lagos Safety Commission, our core mandate is the protection of lives and property. We achieve this through training, advocacy, engagement and enforcement.
“We have observed a significant increase in the number of beauty and spa parlours across Lagos. With that growth comes the need for more stringent regulatory oversight, especially around the control and application of hazardous substances.”
Furthermore, Mojola claimed that some unregulated beauty centres use toxic chemicals and unethical service delivery, causing adverse reactions and complications after undergoing procedures.
He continued, “We’ve had instances where people go into these parlours and return with serious health complaints. Some have reported complications from the chemicals used, while others have brought up issues around sexual harassment. That is unacceptable.
“Our job is to ensure that any substance being used is properly regulated and not hazardous to human health.
“There are laid-down policies guiding the industry, and any chemical used must comply with these standards.
“We must prevent the unchecked availability of hazardous chemicals. These substances should not be freely accessible without proper documentation and oversight. That’s why partnerships with agencies like LASEPA are critical.”
