The recent shift by Miss Universe to embrace women of all body types and ages has been hailed by Nigerian pageant stakeholders, Silverbird Group, as a long-overdue recognition of true beauty and diversity.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, Producer of Miss Universe Nigeria and international pageant coach, Juliette Haggerman, praised the global organisation for evolving beyond outdated beauty standards.
She said: “We wanted it to open up because of the simple fact that we know everyone is not a size zero to a four.
“There are many intellectual women who are doing a lot of things. There are women of all sizes and ages. So when you cut out those things, you are limiting yourself.”
Haggerman recalled a moment nearly a decade ago when a curvaceous contestant faced online backlash. “People dished her online. I wondered how they had problems with women who were curvy, but this is the reality. It’s almost like opening up and catching up to reality,” she said.
Brand Manager at Silverbird Group, Arthur Ngwube, emphasised that pageantry has always been about more than appearance. “The main purpose of pageantry is beauty and brains,” Ngwube stated. “Every country wants to put their best women forward. Who are we not to give our women the opportunity to put their best forward?”
Ngwube also addressed the recent controversy surrounding Miss Douglas, expressing empathy for Chidinma, the affected contestant. “Our hearts go out to her. She is an individual who has a remarkable spirit. She is very resilient. When the time comes, we will all be part of her success story.”
He affirmed Silverbird’s commitment to inclusivity: “We are about opportunities. What Silverbird has done and will continue to do is give every Nigerian woman the opportunity to compete.”
The organisation is also intensifying training for contestants, focusing on decorum, mental resilience, and social media conduct. “We want our queens to be educated, sensitive, and understand how to respond to these issues,” Ngwube added.
Head of Digital Marketing, Silverbird Group, Joshua Olorunfemi, warned contestants about the pitfalls of social media.
“Social media is a platform and there are individuals on those platforms who have a life. You may be redirected to think that everything that is happening in the real world is what is happening on social media. A portion happens on social media while another portion happens in the real world. Secondly, you are chosen for a reason. The difference between a queen in a palace and an average woman is that being in a palace, you have some sets of rules and regulations. It comes with certain training and policies.
“A queen has a certain decorum. You can’t say what an average person says. We have policies, training, and teams to help them build personal brands that could be bigger than they imagine.
“There are trainings you will have to undergo. There are certain things we will check in terms of the kind of content you put out. We have trained people you can reach out to before you put out any kind of content. Our social media team will also put you through on how to run ads on your social media platforms. It could also help you build your personal brand. Some of your brands could be bigger than what you can think about right now. With the right team and the right training, you will get from where you are to where you are destined to be. There will be training and policies in place,” Olorunfemi stated.
With new policies and training in place, Silverbird aims to equip Nigerian queens not just for pageants, but for long-term personal and professional success.
