How Social Media Fuels Nigeria’s Supplement Boom

ABUJA, Nigeria – A TikTok video can promise fuller curves, clearer skin or faster weight gain, and within minutes a young Nigerian can move from watching a transformation to ordering the product behind it. In this report, Hope Ajayi examines how social media, personal testimonials and online vendors are fuelling Nigeria’s growing supplement and wellness market—and the health questions emerging behind the sales.

From Hospital Recommendations to Online Purchases

For 25-year-old Gloria Tabeyang, the decision to use a supplement followed a hospital visit rather than a social media advertisement.

The entrepreneur and event manager said she began taking evening primrose oil after being informed of a hormonal imbalance and having the product recommended to her. She currently spends about ₦15,000 on it, depending on the quantity she buys.

Her experience contrasts with that of consumers who discover wellness products through TikTok, Instagram and online vendors.

For 26-year-old Akande Fiyinfoluwa, who works with Bamz Media in Ibadan, vitamins have become part of her personal wellness routine. She said she takes vitamin C because she believes it supports her skin and general wellbeing. She also uses other supplements for skin enhancement.

Then there is 20-year-old TheoFanny Theophlius, whose search for weight gain began on TikTok.

She said she discovered a weight-gain product on the platform and paid ₦40,000 for it online. The package contained an oral supplement and a brown powder marketed as Tom Brown, which she adds to food.

She declined to name the product.

These experiences show how young Nigerians enter the supplement market in different ways. Some follow medical advice, others develop personal wellness routines, while some move directly from an online recommendation to a purchase.

But they raise a crucial question: how much do consumers know about the products they buy to change their bodies?

When Social Media Testimonials Become Advertising

Isa Farouk Adebola, a 32-year-old nutritionist based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said the concern is not simply that young Nigerians use supplements. It is how they decide which products to trust.

On social media, photographs, personal stories and dramatic transformation claims can make products appear effective. However, one person’s experience does not prove that a product caused the change or will produce the same result for someone else.

Adebola said weight loss, for example, can result from several changes, including reduced food intake, increased physical activity and changes in overall calorie consumption. “When someone says, ‘I took this and lost weight,’ you also have to ask what else changed,” he said.

The same principle applies to products marketed for weight gain.

A supplement may increase calorie intake, depending on its ingredients, Adebola said. However, it cannot guarantee where additional weight will be stored. “You cannot guarantee that the additional weight will go specifically to the buttocks, breasts, thighs or another part of the body,” he said.

This distinction matters in an online market where some products promise targeted body enhancement. Claims that a product can rapidly increase the size of the buttocks, breasts or other body parts can make complex biological processes appear deceptively simple.

The Business of Intimate Wellness

The online wellness market is also expanding into intimate health.

Oluleye Ayomide Clara, 27, runs Geniclaire Intimate Wellness Hub in Ogun State. Her products include boric suppositories, feminine cleansers, panty liners and other items marketed for intimate care.

Clara said boric suppositories are among her best-selling products. Customers buy them for reasons ranging from intimate hygiene and freshness to recurring concerns and general wellness.

Social media helps connect these products with potential buyers. Clara said customers discover her products mainly through Instagram, TikTok, referrals and recommendations from existing customers.

However, growing interest has also prompted questions about product safety, usage and possible side effects. “They mostly ask about safety, how to use the product, possible side effects, whether it is suitable for them and how long they should use it,” she said.

Clara said she considers ingredients, intended use and available product information when deciding what to stock. She added that she does not diagnose customers and recommends professional medical advice when someone presents a specific health problem.

Her experience illustrates how social media has blurred the line between wellness information, marketing and retail. Consumers can discover a product, read testimonials, contact a seller and complete a purchase without consulting a healthcare professional.

What Is Really in Weight-Gain Powder?

Tom Brown is another product associated with weight gain.

The powdered food preparation can contain blended grains and, depending on the recipe, ingredients such as peanuts, tiger nuts and dates.

Adebola said its nutritional value depends on its ingredients and how people consume it.

A calorie-dense preparation can contribute to weight gain if it increases a person’s overall energy intake. However, it cannot determine where the additional weight will be stored.

He also urged consumers to establish exactly what they are buying, particularly when products are prepared or packaged informally.

Ingredients such as peanuts can pose a risk to people with allergies. Other consumers may experience digestive problems depending on the ingredients, quantity consumed and individual tolerance.

Storage and hygiene are also important when food-based preparations are produced outside formal commercial settings.

Adebola said people seeking to gain weight should not rely on a single product. A balanced diet containing adequate protein, vegetables, fruits and other essential nutrients remains important.

The Health Risks Behind Supplement Claims

Supplements and wellness products are often perceived as harmless because sellers describe them as natural, nutritional or health-enhancing.

But Adebola said their safety depends on what they contain, how they are produced and how they are used. The risks can increase when consumers buy from unverified online vendors or use products without knowing their ingredients or appropriate dosage.

Poorly formulated, contaminated or improperly used products can cause adverse effects. Depending on the substances involved, inappropriate ingredients or excessive doses can also create serious health risks.

Adebola advised consumers to exercise caution whenever a product’s ingredients, dosage or safety information is unclear. He also warned against treating online testimonials as substitutes for medical assessment.

Anyone who suspects a nutritional deficiency, hormonal problem or skin condition should first establish the underlying cause, he said.

The appropriate healthcare professional will depend on the problem. A persistent skin condition, for example, may require assessment by a dermatologist rather than self-treatment with a supplement promoted online. “If you believe something is wrong with your body or that you need to correct an imbalance, the first step should be to find out what the actual problem is,” he said.

Why Young Nigerians Keep Buying Supplements

Despite these concerns, the appeal of supplements is easy to understand.

Many young Nigerians want to change something about their appearance or wellbeing. Some want to gain weight, while others want to lose it. Others seek clearer skin, stronger hair or products marketed for hormonal and intimate health.

Social media makes these aspirations more visible. A transformation video can turn a personal experience into a perceived success story, while a friend’s recommendation can build trust.

Online vendors then make purchasing easy through direct messaging, prices and delivery services.

The process can happen without a doctor’s consultation. Although this convenience attracts consumers, it also allows marketing claims to spread faster than reliable information about ingredients, scientific evidence and potential risks.

The Difference Between Testimonials and Evidence

The experiences of Gloria, Fiyinfoluwa and TheoFanny show that young Nigerians use supplements for different reasons.

Gloria’s use followed a health consultation. Fiyinfoluwa incorporates vitamins into her personal routine, while TheoFanny discovered a weight-gain product through TikTok. Meanwhile, Clara’s customers increasingly use social media to find intimate wellness products.

None of these experiences, on its own, proves that a product is safe or effective for everyone.

A testimonial tells consumers what happened to one person. It does not necessarily establish what the product contained, whether it caused the reported result, whether that result can be reproduced or what risks its use might carry.

As Nigeria’s online wellness market expands, the distinction between personal experience and reliable evidence becomes increasingly important.

The Real Cost of Chasing a Transformation

Nigeria’s supplement boom is about more than tablets, powders and capsules. It reflects a growing culture in which social media increasingly shapes how young people think about body image, wellness and personal care.

For consumers, a product promising faster weight gain, clearer skin or a different body shape can appear to offer a simple solution. Yet a convincing transformation video reveals little about the ingredients, safety or effectiveness of the product behind it.

Before buying a supplement, consumers should ask four essential questions: What exactly does it contain? What evidence supports its claims? Is it suitable for my needs? What risks could arise from using it incorrectly?

They should also seek qualified medical advice when dealing with suspected deficiencies, hormonal concerns or persistent health problems.

In a market where a social media recommendation can become a sale within minutes, the biggest risk may be buying a promise without knowing what is inside the package.