*Winner goes home with car, N1 million

By Moses Nosike

In order to change the wrong narrative people are holding against Niger Delta, Mrs Elizabeth Era, Convener of the maiden Face of Niger-Delta Cultural Pageant (FONDCUP), on a media chart with journalists in Lagos said that the cultural pageantry will not only showcase the rich cultural heritage of Niger Delta but change the wrong view people are holding against the people of that region.

Era said, “Niger-Delta indigenes who were known for militancy, kidnapping and conflicts, etc. also had their unique cultural heritage and other potentials to explore”.

She said that the cultural pageantry with nine contestants from Niger-Delta states will stay together for 22 days while they will be examined and preoccupied based on the Niger-Delta culture and various cultural programmes.

According to her, after the duration of 22 days camping, the face of Niger-Delta Cultural Pageant would emerge. However, she said that the success of the programme is as a result of the collaboration with The World Kindness Movement etc.

Era said that registration for the pageantry started January 22 to close March 15. Again, she said, “the auditioning will be done virtually while the grand finale of the entire contest will hold June 25, 2021. The winner of FONDCUP will be going home with a new car, N1 million. The person will also be the Kindness Ambassador for one year with a series of ambassadorial jobs.

The first runner-up will be leaving with N1 million and will be empowered with a skill of her choice and also well get to work with HUSSTORM Technologies while the second runner-up will be getting N500,000 with other opportunities.

At the end of the pageantry, each of the contestants will be going with N200,000.

The new face of Niger-Delta Cultural Pageant would take up the task of visiting the Niger-Delta regions, sensitising them on the need to embrace the culture of peace and show kindness to others”.

Mrs Evelyn Okere, a Nigerian Politician, commended the initiative, saying it is coming at the right time with so much cases of insecurity in Nigeria.

She expressed the hope that the sensitisation programme would ensure peace among Nigerians.

Okere urged the convener of FONDCUP to also organise programmes that would encourage tourists to visit the Niger-Delta region.

In the same vein, Secretary General, The World Kindness Movement, Mr Stephen Oke, said, “the organisation had supported the cultural pageantry because they believed in the objective of re-orientating the mindset of the Niger-Delta people”.

The Content Creator of the event, Mr Idris Saibu, said that the slogan of the cultural pageantry is “Embracing our Peace, Beauty and Culture.

He said that these attributes of African women are the major ones to be examined in every contestant.

“This pageantry is trying to promote morality and not the usual half-naked runway parade, and we will be focusing on upholding decency as Africans”.