A Nivea advert that features a black woman using the company’s product with the tagline ‘visibly lightens’ has been branded “racist”.

Social media users have called the advert, which has appeared in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Senegal, “racist” and “colourist” and urged that it be taken down.

Former Miss Nigeria Omowunmi Akinnifesi appears in the advert for the moisturising lotion, “Natural Fairness”, and in the video version she says that “visibly fairer skin” makes her feel younger. Her skin appears to lighten as she applies it.

On Twitter, users have expressed their anger at the advert with many using the hash tag #PULLITDOWN to demand its removal.

London-based entrepreneur William Adoasi wrote on the social media platform: “This is why black businesses need to rise up and cater for our needs. Nivea can’t get away with pushing this skin lightening agenda across Africa. Appalling.”

Some Twitter users said Nivea is responding to consumer demand for skin-lightening products.

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Nivea’s controversial ad campaign follows the criticism directed at Dove last week for their body wash Facebook advert, which showed a black woman taking off her t-shirt to reveal a white woman underneath.

Dove apologised for its advert, writing on Twitter: “An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark of representing women of colour thoughtfully. We deeply regret the offence it caused.”

The model in the Dove advert subsequently wrote in The Guardian about her decision to take part in the campaign explaining that its original message was promoting diversity and that the viral snapshots from the advert were taken out of context.