From the very first pageant in 1957, Miss Nigeria has always represented the highest of ideals: a combination of beauty, grace and intelligence; artistic and refined. Since then, Miss Nigeria has been a role model to both young and old alike; a spokesperson using her title to educate millions of Nigerians on issues of importance to herself and the society at large.
In years past, pageantry was a family affair; which is why we seek to bring back the family-friendly competition, reminiscent of a time when opportunity came with responsibility and womanhood was held in the highest regard.
The Miss Nigeria Beauty Pageant is the only national pageant in Nigeria. Therefore, it forms a major part of our heritage showcasing beauty and the Nigerian woman. Both the Nation and the Competition share a special paralleling history. Miss Nigeria 1960, Rosemary Anieze was one of the many Guests of Honour at the Independence Day celebrations. As the nation held its first civilian national elections in 1964, showing the world that we could be governed autonomously. Miss Nigeria 1964- Edna Park also marked her own major milestone for the country by being the very first Miss Nigeria to participate in the prestigious Miss Universe Competition; an honour that brought great pride and faith in our nation’s relationship with the rest of the world.
Miss Nigeria attracts young female participants who are great patriots for their country. These outstanding young ladies will be judged on poise, intelligence, cultural values as well as beauty; qualities that every family would be proud to see their daughters, sisters and mothers possess. In order to promote decency as well as integrating the diverse belief systems of our people, the Miss Nigeria Beauty Pageant has eliminated the swimwear segment. We recognize that ours is a unique historic project, and that is why she will uphold the ideals of our Nigerian culture, and yet be able to relate in today’s global village, while merging both traditional values and our modern way of life.
This will be a pleasure and an honour for any young Nigeria lady with a dream. The new queen will be a ‘Queen Ambassador’. She will indeed, be the true essence of Nigerian womanhood.
Miss Nigeria Pageant has evolved to become a more structured organisation to ensure a sustainable and consistent platform that will continue to be of great value to our partners and the participating women at large. We are doing this by enabling long-term projects and engagements that are measurable and impactful. For instance, there would be no short-term pet projects for new queens going forward but rather projects spanning up to 5 years which would allow new queens to adapt, learn and grow in a stable environment.
The Miss Nigeria will continue to be a shinning beacon of true Nigerian womanhood by representing her country on international platforms as a goodwill ambassador. Through our Green-Girl Project, she will be a great ambassador for restoring and promoting sustainable environment in Nigeria as she continues to promote the great heritage and culture of Nigeria alongside.
Going forward from 2017, Miss Nigeria and its runner-ups will represent Nigeria in two international pageants with a purpose. It is our vision to make Miss Nigeria the foremost empowerment platform for young women beyond beauty. We intend to achieve this by partnering with credible individual, groups, cooperates and events
Women are the most vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate change in Nigeria yet their voices are often lost in the discourse of this important issue. As active users of the environment, their impact and their role in achieving sustainability objectives cannot be over emphasized. According to the international community, involving women in sustainability planning can often serve a dual purpose of improving communities’ response to environmental issues and helping women improve their social status.
Given that environmental degradation affects both men and women differently following their diverse production role, it is evident that there is an urgent need for an inclusive and balanced participation of men and women in spearheading initiatives and contributing positively to the environment. Until women are empowered to participate at all levels, environmental sustainability will remain a distant goal. It is against the backdrop to include not just women but also girls that the Green-Girl Project has been founded by the Miss Nigeria Organization as a long-term approach to contribute to sustainable environment in Nigeria.
The GREEN-GIRL PROJECT is 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.