Excitement, fun as Miss Nigeria auditions hold in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt

It was excitement as the process for selecting next Miss Nigeria, a beauty pageant that showcases positive attributes of Nigerian women and awards university scholarship to winner held in three cities, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos.

The all-encompassing process catered to both the physical and mental needs of the contestants. From personal photography sessions from Studio 24 using cool photo props, there were also monopoly games and passion project activities to keep the ladies entertained.

The three-tier process for the 2017 auditions began in at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on November 7, with an impressive turn out of contestants from the Northern region that showed up for a chance to become the next Miss Nigeria.

Guest judges at the audition include photographer and Lifestyle Magazine publisher, George Okoro, CEO Reign by Adama Lashes, Adama Indimi; CEO Style Temple, Ogugua Okonkwo, Creative Director, A-Squared Network Andy Ogbechei, Enyinne Owunwanne, CEO, Times Multimedia, organisers of the Miss Nigeria pageant.

Following a successful process in Abuja, the team converged in Port Harcourt on Thursday November 9 to receive contestants from the South-South/South-East region at the Echelon Heights Hotel. It was an excellent turnout with hundreds of young ladies vying for a chance to become the queen.

Andy Ogbechei and Enyinne Owunwanne were joined by two former contestants from Miss Nigeria 2016 – Anna Terna (Miss Benue) and Bozimo Blessing Ebi (Miss Borno) as guest judges.

The week-long process was capped with a two-day bout of the finest and most intelligent ladies in the South-West region auditioning for a chance to be the next queen at the Times Multimedia Lagos headquarters.

The 37 semi-finalists will be announced in a special Instagram live session next week with the grand finale set for Thursday December 21 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The 2017 edition marks the 60th anniversary of the pageant, which began in 1957.

Organisers of the pageant have reiterated their commitment to empowering Nigeria’s young women beyond beauty. According to Owunwanne, “this is a commitment that has resonated through the years in our work with young women who have participated in the pageant and gone on to become role models for other Nigerian women,” she said.

“It therefore remains our driving motivation this year to continue to provide young women with a platform to achieve the things they are most passionate about. Therefore, our focus is not on physical appearance alone, but on women who are intelligent, socially responsible, and committed to making a difference in our country.”

Grace Oyelude won the maiden edition of the pageant and use part of her £200 prize money to travel to England where she studied nursing. The 2016 winner and reigning queen, Chioma Obiadi hails from Anambra.

It need be noted that throughout the year, the winner is sponsored by prestigious organisations, and may land endorsement deals. In 2016, the pageant came up with an initiative called ‘The Green-Girl Project’, a community development initiative aimed at empowering young women to become facilitators of sustainable practices towards ensuring a clean and peaceful environment. It also aims to give young women a platform to become agents of change for the environment.