By Gloria Drealomalicha
If this popping up my FYP are true, then somebody in Nigeria may have just transformed sanitary pads from a monthly necessity into a luxury investment plan.
Honestly, when I first saw it, I actually thought it was AI because there’s no way anyone will tell me that a whole Mercy Johnson who has tested “struggle” according to her testimonies will set this outrageous price as her price for a sanitary pad.
Award winning popular Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson is currently facing intense backlash online after reports emerged that a sanitary pad allegedly linked to her brand is being sold for a jaw-dropping ₦25,000.
Yes, ₦25,000.
In today’s Nigeria, where many people price garri before buying, social media users are asking the same question with confusion, pain, and pure theatrical frustration: “Does the pad come with free fuel, emotional support, and a trip to Dubai?” or maybe a free Ticket to go watch Chike perform?
The controversy has thrown the internet into full chaos, with Nigerians dragging the issue from X formerly (Twitter) to Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp groups, and probably even family prayer meetings.
For many women, sanitary pads are not designer handbags. They are survival items. Basic necessities. Something girls and women need every month whether the economy likes it or not. So hearing that one could allegedly cost ₦25,000 sounded less like business and more like an audition for “Who Wants To Become A Billionaire?”
One angry user joked:
“At this point, the pad should be able to cook soup and pay NEPA bill.”
Another wrote:
“For ₦25,000, the pad must have WiFi, air conditioning, and spiritual protection.” or maybe the pad could have stop the blood flow from the woman of the issue of blood in the bible.
But beneath the jokes and memes lies genuine frustration.
Nigeria is currently battling one of its toughest economic periods in recent history. Food prices are rising daily, transportation costs are brutal, and many families are struggling to survive. Yet menstrual hygiene something millions of girls already struggle to afford now appears to be entering luxury territory.
And this is where Nigerians began firing shots at celebrities in general.
Many social media users accused Nigerian celebrities of slowly forgetting the same fans who made them famous. According to critics, once some celebrities become wealthy, they allegedly stop thinking like ordinary Nigerians and start pricing products for people who shop with calculators turned off.
From skincare creams that cost half a salary to perfumes priced like airplane tickets, fans say the gap between celebrities and the streets keeps widening every year.
Now, with the sanitary pad controversy, many believe the line has officially crossed into comedy.
Because let’s be honest: If a university student is struggling to pay school fees, transport, and data subscription, how exactly is she expected to budget ₦25,000 for pads without applying for a loan from the World Bank?
This same country where some women uses Tissue paper and pieces of wrapper to carry themselves in this Tinubu’s Government because they can’t afford a common Sanitary Pad of 1,000 is the same country our dear MJ is allegedly selling hers for 25,000, what a luxury monthly flow.
Critics argue that celebrities often market products based on status instead of necessity. Once their faces are attached to something, the price suddenly begins to behave like it graduated from Harvard.
Ironically, many of the fans defending celebrities online are the same people who cannot comfortably afford the products being advertised to them.
The backlash has also reopened conversations about “period poverty” in Nigeria a serious issue affecting countless young girls who already miss school or use unsafe alternatives because regular sanitary pads are too expensive.
Which is why many Nigerians believe this controversy is bigger than one actress or one product.
To them, it reflects a growing culture where fame sometimes replaces empathy.
Of course, supporters of Mercy Johnson insist people should calm down, verify facts properly, and understand that premium brands exist everywhere in the world.
But on Nigerian social media, calmness has already left the group chat.
And until clearer explanations emerge, many Nigerians will continue asking the same dramatic question:
“Are we buying sanitary pads… or registering for a master’s degree?”.
Drealomalicha Emmanuella Gloria is the editor of Starnews NG
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