Mrs Elizabeth Era, the convener of Face of Niger-Delta Cultural Pageant (FONDCUP), on Friday, announced that the maiden edition of the pageant will hold on the 25th of June in Delta State.
Era who disclosed this during a media briefing in Lagos said that the cultural pageantry aims at showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Niger-Delta people, and as well change the negative impression people have about the region.
According to Era, registration is ongoing and will close on March 15, 2021, while contestants from the nine Niger-Delta States will be selected through audition. Themed: Embracing our Peace, Beauty and Culture.
She revealed that the contestants will be camped for 22 days and will be examined and preoccupied based on the Niger-Delta culture and various cultural programmes. And the winner will go home with a new car, N1 million, and awarded the Kindness Ambassador, which will last for one year with a series of ambassadorial jobs.
In her words: “The first runner-up will be leaving with the sum of N1 million, empowered with a skill of her choice, and will get to work with HUSSTORM Technologies. While the second runner-up will be getting N500,000 with other opportunities.” Adding that each of the contestants will also go home N200,000.
Era said that the new face of FONDCUP will take up the task of visiting the Niger-Delta States, sensitising them on the need to embrace the culture of peace and show kindness to others as Niger-Delta indigenes who were known for militancy, kidnapping and conflicts, also have their unique cultural heritage, and other potential Nigerians needed to be aware of and explore.
Also at the press briefing was Mrs Evelyn Okere-Onu, a Nigerian Politician, who commended the initiative, saying the programme is coming at the right time with so many cases of insecurity in Nigeria.
Okere-Onu urged the coordinators of FONDCUP to also organize programmes that would encourage tourists to visit the Niger-Delta region.
“I support this pageant whole-heartedly, and I urge every individual to imbibe the spirit of peace and kindness. The Niger-Delta people are amazing people, and I believe so much in cultural exchange programmes whereby we learn other people’s culture to bring about peace and understanding,” she said.
The Secretary-General, The World Kindness Movement, Mr Stephen Oke, said the organisation had supported the cultural pageantry because they believed in the objective to re-orientate the mind-set of the Niger-Delta people.
“We appreciate the initiative, and we will ensure this becomes a success,” he said.
Mr Idris Saibu, the Content Creator of the event, said the slogan of the cultural pageantry is “Embracing our Peace, Beauty and Culture”.
Saibu said these attributes of African women are the major ones to be examined in every contestant.
“This is trying to promote morality and not the usual half-naked runway parade, but we will be focusing on upholding decency as Africans,” he said.
The pageantry is being organised in collaboration with The World Kindness Movement.
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