Promoters of the forthcoming Beauty West Africa (BWA) Conference slated for November 26 to November 28, 2024 have outlined factors that can help further boost Nigeria’s booming beauty industry.
They stressed the importance of developing industry standards with public-private collaboration, accessing funding for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the beauty segment, as well as trends and opportunities in the hair and beauty sector that will feature in the conference opening on November 26, 2024.
Other topics for discussion will include skin tone and hyperpigmentation, and biotech innovations in cosmetic formulations. Workshops for hairstylists and barbers will take place on the third day of the event.
Beauty West Africa is the leading trade event promoting beauty, cosmetics and grooming in Nigeria and West Africa. Nigeria’s beauty and personal care market has been forecast to approach ₦16 trillion (US$9.71 billion) in 2024, with an annual growth rate of 12.11 percent (CAGR 2024-2029).
Running alongside the BWA Exhibition at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the free-to-attend Conference has a handful of leading beauticians, cosmetic scientists and cosmetics business owners sharing their experiences based on working in the local and international beauty industry.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of BeautyInLagos (BiL-https://www.beautyinlagos.com/ ), Ezinne Alfa, who has been working alongside BtoB Events, organizers of the event, has developed the programme for the exhibition.
“Beauty West Africa has consistently provided an unparalleled platform for the African beauty industry to connect, innovate, and grow.
“Discussions at last year’s conference directly contributed to the formation of the National Technical Committee on Beauty Care & Wellbeing Services (NTCBCWS) by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), tasked with developing standards for the Nigerian beauty industry. This demonstrates the real impact of the conversations and collaborations that take place here,” Alfa said.
As the official conference partner, BeautyInLagos is excited to foster more transformative dialogue and innovation at this year’s event, empowering beauty professionals to drive meaningful change across the continent.
This year’s conference will be hosting the inaugural Beauty Stakeholder Engagement Forum, convened by the newly formed National Technical Committee on Beauty Care and Wellbeing Services and will also be bringing together key stakeholders and professionals from all sectors of the beauty industry.
As keynote speaker, Director-General at the SON, Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, will deliver an address on the importance of regulators working with businesses and how this can contribute to Nigeria achieving global excellence in the beauty and cosmetics industry.
Among the other speakers are broadcast media professional Lamide Akintobi; Head of SME Products at Sterling, Bank Bolanle Tyson; Founder and Managing Director of Lilian Collins Limited, Lilian Arigbodi and Beauty Executive at Azar Limited, Vanessa Azar.
The hairstyling and barber workshops on November 28 will be provided by the leading international brand of hair clippers for professional and home grooming, Wahl, while the live demonstrations will be anchored by renowned educators as part of a global education program “which provides barbers, hairdressers and customers with the fundamental support and quality of training required to succeed in the industry.”
Wahl is inviting participants to: “Stay ahead of the curve with the latest techniques and trends in the industry. Take a step closer to master and become part of our exclusive community of passionate leaders. The sessions provide a fantastic opportunity to use over 100 years of knowledge and experience from the Wahl Artistic Team members, ensuring you leave confident with cutting edge techniques.”
Sponsors and partners of this year’s event include the Association of Practitioners of Spa and Medical Aesthetics of Nigeria; AVPC – Association of Cosmetic Product Sellers of Benin; Balogun Business Association Nigeria; Beauty in Lagos BiL; Cosmetic Dealers Association Eziukwu Market Aba (CDA); E.A.T.O.W Global; FEWACCI, the Federation of West Africa Chambers of Commerce and Industry; The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Guidechem.
Others are the Lagos State Barber’s Association (LSBA); Lush Hair Nigeria; Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA); Practitioners of Spa and Beauty Association of Nigeria; Professional Association of Spa and Cosmetology in Nigeria (PASCON); Spa and Wellness Association of Africa (SWAA) and United Cosmetics and Salon Equipment Dealers Association of Nigeria.
