By Christy Anyanwu
as preparations for this year’s Queen Moremi Ajasoro (QMA)beauty pageant get underway, organisers have rolled out mouth-watering prizes for the next queen and runners-up.
Billed to hold in Lagos in November, the winner of this second edition of the pageant will cart home a brand new car and a N5 million investment fund to the bargain with plans to formally launch QMA Impact Investment Fund as part of the project.
In addition, the new queen automatically becomes the Cultural Ambassador to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, who is the grand patron of the House of Oduduwa and promoter of the beauty pageant. With this, she will enjoy the rare privilege of accompanying the royal father to many of his engagements both within and outside the country and is expected to model the highest queenly traits Queen Moremi Ajasoro was known for.
Also, the queen will be fitted and styled all through her one year reign by celebrity designers, makeup artists and stylists of the beauty pageant which include Mon’ Ami (Larry Kay Ojomo of Mon’ Ami Clothing) , whose first set of collections for the event was showcased on London runway during the recently held Africa Fashion Week London.
Speaking on this development, the Heritage Ambassador of Queen Moremi Ajasoro Legacy, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, said it is a welcome development and an indication that the event would live to its billing as a super beauty pageant different from others because of the royal and cultural spin to it and the creative elements that come with it.
Princess Ademiluyi who is the founder of both Africa Fashion Week Nigeria and Africa Fashion Week London, disclosed that more prizes are expected as a number of sponsors and partners are yet to come up with their promised packages. She said once the partnership deals are concluded, the packages would be disclosed to the public even as she called on more corporate bodies and individuals to sign up with the event as there are more opportunities for sponsors and partners to come on board to make the event a signature pageant for the country.
According to her, tons of applications have been received since the application portal was opened to the public for the event that is open to Nigerian ladies from any part of the country within the age 18 and 25 bracket with a minimum qualification of secondary school certificate and who are five feet and five inches tall.
Once the vetting of applications ends in September, she said auditions would commence in Ibadan, Ife and Lagos. This would be followed by the grand finale which promises to be colourful and eventful.
Queen Moremi Ajasoro (QMA) beauty pageant is among efforts of the Ooni of Ife to preserve and promote the legacies of the revered and legendary Ife queen as well as create role models and empower young Nigerian ladies to be productive and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development and the globe.