FUNSHO AROGUNDADE
As the 30th anniversary edition of the Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria pageant set to hold on Friday September 15 at the Eko Hotels & Suites in Lagos, Guy Murray Bruce, Vice President of the Silverbird Group, has announced that the search is on across the nation for the next Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.
In its 30th edition, this anniversary edition is planned to be an epoch making one as it will ride on a hair-raising sub theme: “Gender Based Violence – The plight of the Nigerian woman” which is an addition to the pageant’s main theme: “The true essence of beauty…Timeless”
Speaking at the media briefing to kick start the anniversary edition in Lagos over the weekend, visibly-elated Murray Bruce called on corporate organisations and the media to be a part of the great show as sponsors and partners.
Also lending her voice to the calls, outgoing MBGN Unoaku Anyadike, makes a passionate appeal to government at all levels to take the fight against gender based violence more seriously.
In a very moving speech at the press briefing Unoaku said ”It is sobering to realise that behind the closed doors of homes everywhere, in the place where women have the right to feel most safe, horrific abuse is a daily reality.”
The scourge is real and Unoaku like many other campaigners before her is shocked by the statistics which show that nearly 50 per cent of all sexual assaults worldwide are against girls 15 years or younger”
Also speaking at the media briefing, ex-MBGN 2013 Anna Ebiere Banner praised the Silverbird Group for sustaining the pageant for almost three decades.
While calling for qualified girls to file in as participants, she reiterated the fact about the pageants: “You don’t need to know anyone before you can win”
This was equally buttressed by actor and model, Emmanuel Ikubese.
Ikubese, former Mr. Nigeria said the MBGN is a platform that put the winners and participants on the pedestal to greatness, opportunities and visibility.
“It’s not about knowing anyone, I didn’t know anyone before I auditioned for Mr Nigeria and here I am today,” Ikubese, star actor of hit movie, ‘Fifty’ said.
Screenings of the contestants for the pageant have been scheduled to hold on August 8 in Enugu; August 10 in Port Harcourt; August 12 in Abuja and the final screening to select the 35 contestants will hold on August 14 at Best Western Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Several past winners of the MBGN have made huge imprints nationally and globally particularly Agbani Darego-Danjuma, who is now an international super model and fashion entrepreneur after becoming the very first Black African Miss World in 2001.
Others are Mary Ngozi Bienoseh, Chinenye Ochuba and Anita Uwagbale, who were named African Continental Queen of beauty, reaching the top ten at Miss World 1987, 2002 and 2004 respectively.
Bianca Onoh was crowned Miss Intercontinental in 1989, and Sabina Umeh was the first Nigerian to win the Personality prize at Miss World 1990.
Toyin Raji was the recipient in 1995, and until recently, Celestine Queen won the Miss Congeniality title in the Miss Universe pageant 2014
Murray-Bruce said this year’s pageant comes with lots of surprises plus much more mouthwatering prizes for the winners and assured everyone of a world class event in line with the best of Silverbird’s tradition.
The winner of the anniversary competition will move on to represent Nigeria at the Miss World pageant taking place in Sanya, China on November 18, 2017 while the first runner up will represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant.