By Benjamin Njoku &  Opeoluwani Ogunjimi

Come November 13, 50 beauty queens from 50 countries of the world and their managers will storm Nigeria, to slug it out for who wears the Exquisite Face Of The World crown for the next one year.

This was disclosed last Sunday, during an exclusive cocktail event at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, with past beauty queens, Miss Kenya, Miss Russia and Miss Ghana in attendance.

Ethel Okosun, former Miss Earth, 2005 and daughter of late musician, Sunny Okosun who is the Nigerian Project Director for the pageant revealed that the event will hold on the 13th of November and Nigeria play host to these international ambassadors who will contest for the Exquisite face of The World crown.

According to Ethel Okosun, “The essence of this pageant is to create an avenue to project a positive image to the world about Nigeria and the African Continent as a whole. This pageant will open doors to investment opportunities and additionally boast the tourism drive of this great nation.”

*Ethel

Former Miss Russia and Miss Tourism World, Meri Asatiani who came into Nigeria last Friday, joined Miss Ghana and Miss Kenya expressed her excitement on the pageant holding in Nigeria for the first time ever. Ethel, in this interview with Showtime Celebrity recounts her story as a ex-beauty queen, the Exquisite Face of the Universe and her family’s plan to unveil a compilation of her late father’s works.

What’s happening here today?

Today, we are unveiling the Exquisite Face Of The World to Nigerians. The event is coming up on the 13th of November. We are expecting fifty participants from fifty countries of the world. So, we stormed Lagos to unveil the event to Nigerians ahead of the grand finale.

How did you secure the franchise?

I used to be a beauty queen, former Miss Earth 2005 which was hosted by Ibinabo Fiberesima. From there, I went for the Miss Earth International at Philippines. Thereafter,I contested for the Miss Global in Jamaica in 2006. So, that’s how it all started.

I was invited to coordinate the hosting of the pageant in Nigeria. I was overwhelmed. The organisers told me they wanted me to handle it and because I’ve been in the business for a while I accepted teh gesture. So far, it’s been a wonderful experience.

What were you doing at the time you won the Miss Earth?

I was promoting charity then because we did more for charity and tourism. Miss Earth is more of the environment, about global warming and planting more trees, not stopping deforestation

Were you a student then?

No. But thereafter, I went back to school. I studied Political Science and International Relations for four years at London University. So, when I got the franchise to host the event, I took the bold step and accepted the challenge.

Since accepting the challenge, how has been the experience?

It’s been tremendous, a wonderful experience although it’s not been easy as a young girl to host this big event in Nigeria. You have to make people believe in you and sponsor it. It’s been really tough but thank God that I’m here today.

Why didn’t you practice what you studied in school?

I will practice. Like I said, it was something that was bestowed on me that I should give it a shot. It’s not what I want to do all my life. I just want to give it a shot and move on. I did Politics and International Relations so someday I would want to walk in the ministry.

As the daughter of late Sunny Okusun, one would have expected that you take after your father? It’s a big family. I’ve always done pageantry all my life. I follow my dream.

You didn’t follow his path?

No, my sister is there, Ebony. She sings very well and gradually she’ll take over.

Do you sometimes miss your father?

Of course I do. He was a tremendous support to me. He was the man with a big heart who loved people and wanted to work with everybody. He wanted to affect lives and that was what I learnt from him. That no matter what you do in life, you must impart on people’s lives. For him, it was about giving back to the society and I miss him greatly. I wish he was here today.

Do you have any spiritual affinity with his songs whenever you listen to them?

I do, because his music encourages me a lot. Like one of his songs, “The Third War in Namibia”, I didn’t understand what he was saying then until I secured admission to study Politics in the university. But we were young then or weren’t even born. But I appreciated his songs and we look forward to unveiling a compilation of his songs very soon.

What’s your family doing as regard to your father’s works?

We are working towards complying his works. My uncle, Easy Okosun who is on it, has recorded some of his collections under Togetherness in London. He will be returning to Nigeria soon to launch it. So very soon, we’ll be hearing more of Sunny Okosun’s oldies.

What about your Foundation?

I’m CEO, Ethel Okosun’s International. Like I said earlier, it’s my own little way of giving back to the society. And bringing the Equisite Face of The World finals to Nigeria is a way of giving back to the country. We are promoting global peace, cultural diversity and we say come as a Nigerian, I feel it’s an opportunity to tell the world that Nigeria is a safe place to live. I’ve had my girls here since Friday and they’re loving it and want to come back again and again.

Since they beauty queens arrived the country, where have you taking them to so they’ll really be able to tell that Nigeria is indeed a peaceful place?

They came in very late last Friday and Miss Kenya came in last Saturday. We visited a couple of hangouts. We also went to see the Nissan people and the orphanage in Lekki Phase 1 to give back to the society. We also visited the national museums in Lagos to show them what we have so they’ll have something to take back home from Nigeria.

You think your father was well honoured while he lived?

Yes he was well honoured. When he died, the people showed tremendous support during his burial. So, to whom much is given, much is expected. I say a big thank you to the Lagos State government as well as the Federal government.