Calls for increased foreign direct investment and stronger international partnerships reverberated across the halls of the Landmark Event Centre as the 2025 Beauty West Africa Exhibition rounded off in Lagos.

Stakeholders said such collaborations remain critical to unlocking Nigeria’s fast-growing cosmetics and beauty market.

Brad Smith, Trade Director at Trade Show Organisers Nigeria Limited, said this year’s edition brought together more than 300 international brands from nearly 50 countries, as well as thousands of buyers from Nigeria, West Africa, and across sub-Saharan Africa.

According to him, the surge in interest from global players reflects rising confidence in Africa’s expanding beauty economy. “Everything we are doing is focused on growing the African beauty industry,” Smith said.

“Foreign investment, supported by local innovation, will transform the sector.” He explained that increased foreign capital would lead to better trade deals, cheaper imports, stronger local manufacturing capacity, and greater export opportunities for Nigerian brands.

Exhibitors, he added, view Nigeria as a strategic gateway into Africa’s multibilliondollar beauty market. “They are meeting major importers, distributors and retailers because they see how fast the African market is growing and how much opportunity exists.

Many of the products showcased this year have never been seen on the continent,” he said. Smith noted that the exhibition creates a direct interface for networking, negotiations, and import agreements — benefits that ultimately reduce costs and improve product value for consumers.