The semi-finalists for the 60th anniversary edition of the Miss Nigeria pageant have now emerged, after weeks of a rigorous audition process that had over 1,000 ladies from across the nation vying for a chance to wear the coveted crown. They were announced on Tuesday November 28th, during an Instagram Live session that saw the out-going Miss Nigeria, Chioma Obiadi, calling each successful contestant.
The 2017 auditions held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja on November 7th with George Okoro (photographer and Lifestyle Magazine publisher), Adama Indimi (CEO Reign by Adama Lashes), Ogugua Okonkwo (CEO Style Temple) and Andy Ogbechei (Creative Director, A-Squared Network) as guest judges. The second leg of the auditions held at Echelon Heights Hotel was host in Port Harcourt on November 9th with Andy Ogbechei (Creative Director, A-Squared Network) and Enyinne Owunwanne (CEO, Times Multimedia- organisers of the Miss Nigeria pageant) are joined by 2 former contestants from 2016 – Anna Terna (Miss Benue) and Bozimo Blessing Ebi (Miss Borno) as guest judges.
The week-long in-person auditions came to a close at the Times Multimedia HQ in Lagos on November 11th and 12th 2017.
On back of these, the contestants went through a final round of public voting to determine the state representatives based on the overall weighted average. To also meet the goal of ensuring that each State is represented by its indigene the process was further opened to online video entries to fill the remaining slots.
Meanwhile, there are 7 contenders for the Miss FCT slot out of which a winner will emerge at the bootcamp, based on viewers’ choice.
The boot camp is set to commence on Monday December 4th, 2017.
The successful contestants according to their States are as follows:
1. ABIA AMARACHI ONYEABO
2. ADAMAWA EHIGUESE MILDRED PEACE
3. AKWA IBOM ANNALISA JOHN UMANAH
4. ANAMBRA LOUELLA EZE
5. BAUCHI PARE RUTH IFEANYI
6. BAYELSA DEBORAH ALFRED
7. BENUE PATIENCE ABIYANYA ADOKPE
8. BORNO ACHADU GRACEFILL BAABA
9. CROSS RIVER ANA LAWRENCE VICTORIA
10. DELTA RITA CHINEDU
11. EBONYI AKUMA DINNE CHINEMEREM ESTHER
12. EDO SARAH EGHOGHON IFIDON
13. EKITI BOLARINDE DAMILOLA REBECCA
14. ENUGU EZUGWU CHINONYE EMILIA
15. GOMBE ADEBOLA OMOGBEMINIYI
16. IMO COLLINS MOYOSOREOLUWA CASSANDRA
17. JIGAWA AYO DEOLA ASHLEY
18. KADUNA YASMIN UMAR
19. KANO FAITH SAMUEL
20. KASTINA SARAH BINZWAN SIMON
21. KEBBI MATTI ATINUKE MARIAM
22. KOGI EGWABA PATIENCE OJONUGWA
23. KWARA SHOFOLU GBEMINIYI
24. LAGOS OLUWATOMISIN AWOYEMI
25. NASSARAWA IKPE IGBE JOY
26. NIGER MERCY EZEKIEL
27. OGUN TOLULOPE AYANFALU MARY
28. ONDO BENJAMIN ANNE UFUOMANEFE
29. OSUN DARAMOLA JOY
30. OYO ANJOLAOLUWA BOLUWATIFE BOLAJI
31. PLATEAU ABIGAIL ZERE KIM
32. RIVERS FAHNY BROWN PETERSIDE
33. SOKOTO OCHE IMMACULATA FIJE
34. TARABA LOVELY EMMANUEL NDAMA KAUNA
35. YOBE KHADIJA AHMED YOUNIS
36. ZAMFARA JOLLY YAHAYA
37. FCT CONTENDER 1 CHINAKA SHARON EZINNE
38. FCT CONTENDER 2 GINA ODOGWU REGINALD
39. FCT CONTENDER 3 NICHOLAS VANESSA
40. FCT CONTENDER 4 OKPARA ROSELINE AMARACHI
41. FCT CONTENDER 5 INIMFON JOSEPH
42. FCT CONTENDER 6 OFFOR STELLA CHIDINMA
43. FCT CONTENDER 7 EZINNE EMELDA ELIJAH AGBOM
The 2017 edition marks the 60th anniversary of the Miss Nigeria pageant which began in 1957 and the organisers have reiterated their commitment to empowering Nigeria’s young women beyond beauty.
According to the CEO Times Multimedia, Enyinne Owunwanne, “this is a commitment that has resonated through the years in our work with young women who have participated in the pageant and gone on to become role models for other Nigerian women. It therefore remains our driving motivation this year to continue to provide young women with a platform to achieve the things they are most passionate about. Therefore our focus is not on physical appearance alone, but on women who are intelligent, socially responsible, and committed to making a difference in our country”.