Mantu demads recognition for barbers

Founder of Fades and Bangs Global Salons, Abuja, Mr Musa Mantu, has cautioned Nigerians against treating barbers and cosmetologists with disdain, saying that beauty practitioners deserve respect for sacrifices put into making people look beautiful and presentable.

Mantu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Abuja that beauty professionals were making “massive sacrifices’’ to make people look nice and acceptable in the society.

“The barber, hair stylist or manicurist stand on their feet for hours just to make us beautiful; they deserve respect. No one should see them as menial jobbers,’’ Mantu said.

He spoke after he was sworn in as Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), of the National Association of Barbers and Cosmetologists Employers of Nigeria (NABCEN).

Also sworn in were Mr Barile Ngbobu, an American-trained cosmetologist, as National President, Omite Dimez, Vice President; Greg Abwar, Financial Secretary; Fatima Momoh, Treasurer; Nicole Balewa, Publicity Secretary, and Ikenna Olelewe, Organising Secretary.

The officials are to serve a four-year renewable term.

Mantu, who said that the beauty industry was a “multi-million dollar business second only to ICT’’, also cautioned Nigerians against seeing make-up artists, hair stylists or other beauty experts as uneducated.

“The notion that these professionals are mostly illiterates is false. A lot of them went to high schools and were trained to practice their professions.

“There are also many others, who have graduated from universities but opted to specialise in some of these professions just out of passion or a desire to serve and contribute to societal growth.

“Rather than see and treat NABCEN members with disrespect, we crave more respect for them because they make massive sacrifices to make people look beautiful, presentable and acceptable,’’ he said.