“77% of Nigerian Women Bleach Their Skin” - Beverly Naya Reveals Why She Took the Fight Against Colorism Global

Nollywood actress Beverly Naya has opened up about the inspiration behind her widely discussed documentary on colourism, revealing that her goal was to challenge deeply rooted beauty standards that have led many to believe lighter skin is more beautiful or desirable.

Speaking during an interview, the actress cited a claim that “77% of Nigerian women bleach their skin,” describing the figure as a reflection of the strong societal pressure surrounding skin complexion in Nigeria. According to Naya, there has long been an unspoken hierarchy of beauty based on skin tone, with lighter-skinned individuals often being perceived as more attractive.

“There’s this hierarchy of beauty according to complexion, where it’s like the lighter you are, the better. Culturally, you know, in society, it’s there,” she said.

The actress explained that her interest in tackling colourism was also influenced by the way dark-skinned people are sometimes subjected to hurtful comments and derogatory names because of their complexion.

She described colourism as another form of bullying, noting that although people recognised that such comments were offensive, many were unaware that the discrimination had a name.

“People knew that you could literally look at a dark-skinned person, and you would say, ‘Oh, Blackie,’ and it was derogatory, it was offensive, but there was nothing to define what that act was. But then it was colourism, and they didn’t know what it was.”

Through her documentary, Naya said she wanted to educate people about colourism, shed light on the dangers of skin bleaching, and, most importantly, encourage individuals to embrace their natural skin tones.

The actress also reflected on the timing of the documentary’s release, revealing that it premiered on Netflix just weeks after the death of George Floyd in 2020. According to her, the global conversation surrounding racism and discrimination at the time helped draw even more attention to the documentary, allowing its message to reach audiences far beyond Nigeria.

For Beverly Naya, the fight is ultimately about helping people understand that beauty should not be determined by complexion and encouraging more people to embrace the skin they were born with.