Miss Earth Nigeria contestants arrive in Calabar ahead of 2021 Pageant

‘Miss Earth Nigeria’ has concluded arrangements to host its 20th edition of international beauty pageant involving eighteen contestants from across the country.

The National Director of Miss Earth Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima told newsmen in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, southern Nigeria that the event, which is in its twentieth year, focuses on protecting the environment.

Fiberesima, who is a former beauty queen and Nigerian movie maestro, said the eighteen contestants would be competing for the Miss Earth Crown and promote sustainable environmental activities through their pet projects.

According to the former beauty queen, “the young women, who are part of this mission are environment advocates in their respective states. The winner of this year’s contest, which promises to be fun and explosive, would represent Nigeria at the world event in the Philippines.

“But, while here in Cross River State, the queens would visit some markets for sensitization, especially for those who deal on perishable foods. They would also engage in some environmental cleanup around parts of Calabar metropolis before departing for the Obudu Ranch, where other activities would be held,” she said.

Protecting the earth

On her passion for the environment, Fiberesima said, “I have always been at peace with nature and had a knack for animal rescue as a young person growing up. This love for nature and protecting the beauty of our earth prompted me to venture into mentoring young women to embrace the passion.”

According to her, “running Miss Earth Nigeria, for me, is lifting voices for the environment and I have been doing this for twenty years. Every year, I meet young beautiful girls, train them and cause them to become advocates for the protection of the environment.

“We are not only into beauty pageantry; we have passion for the protection of the environment. The truth is that what we feed the environment with is what it gives back to us. There is need for us to plant trees every day to avert deforestation. In this part of the world, people need to learn how to embrace organic way of doing things.

“Farmers can switch to use of organic manure, which is derived from waste food or products especially when such is separated from trash into different segments for recycling and compost,” she stated.

She explained that the essence of the Miss Earth Beauty Pageant, which will be held on August 28, 2021 in Calabar, was to channel the entertainment industry as an effective tool to promoting environmental awareness and finding a lasting solution to the dangers of wrong environmental practices.

She commended the governor, Professor Ben Ayade for instituting the Green Carnival with emphasis on tree planting, stressing “we can never have enough trees in our environment.”

The Rivers State born ex-beauty-queen, turned conservationist, cautioned Nigerians against activities that would further degrade the environment.

Dominica Nwabufo