A 62-year old retired primary school teacher, Elizabeth Okagbare, and 19 other finalists have emerged from over 2,000 participants in the maiden edition of ‘Made in Delta Talent Search’.

The talent hunt, an initiative of Delta State Government tagged ‘Talent is the New Crude’, would see 10 winners emerge on July 20, with each winning N5 million contract.

The goal, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Talent Development, Ogusbaba Ogude said, is to discover, nurture and promote talents in music, comedy and drama.

Ogude told newsmen that the 62-year-old widow is among the five finalists in the acting category, while the music category has 11 competitors and four in comedy.

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According to him, “This is not a luxury show neither was it designed to reward 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions. Among the 20 finalists, 10 would qualify for N5 million worth of contract from the state government.

“The Made in Delta Talent Search is an initiative of the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as part of efforts to diversify the economy of the state. We have been able to tell the world that talent is the new crude.”

While answering questions from journalists, Okagbare said she appreciates the chance to display her natural talent, which lack of opportunities and family pressure denied her in her younger days.

Vanguard News Nigeria