Nigeria: Natural hair care and local sourcing
Grace Abamba, founding president of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists Nigeria, said a key category offering opportunities and experiencing plenty of innovation in Nigeria was hair care.
“The biggest market is hair care, with trends around natural, speaking on conditioners, shampoos, styling products, [hair] masks etc. And also, products that look after hair extensions,” Abamba said.
Within this category, and beyond, she said there had been a rise in local brands using locally sourced and indigenous ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter. This move to source locally was, in part, because of import difficulties and skyrocketing raw material costs due to COVID-19, she said.
“International companies with a local presence that are willing to invest in local cosmetic manufacturers by providing essential materials and more flexible minimum orders could gain a further competitive edge,” Abamba said.