By Moses Akaigwe
One of the highpoints of the 2021 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant was the partnership between the official car sponsor, Geely Motors, and the organisers of the yearly spectacle, the Silverbird Group, which culminated in the presentation of a Geely Emgrand 7 car to the winner, Miss Oluchi Madubuike.
With full support from its powerful parent company, Mikano International, Geely Nigeria treated the MBGN contestants to two days of fun, commencing on September 12 with an exciting 21-car motorcade that moved through some streets of the host city of Lagos, ending on a pleasurable note the next day.
Predictably, the Geely convoy of cars that attracted many admirers on the streets it drove through, featured all three models in the current line-up of vehicles Geely Nigeria is assembling in Lagos for the Nigerian market, including the iconic Emgrand 7, the X7 Sport SUV, and the recently launched Coolray crossover SUV.
Marketing Manager, Geely Nigeria, Karima Okunola, explained that the motorcade event was aimed letting the MBGN contestants {who were selected from across Nigeria} and the accompanying Silverbird crew, have a feel of Geely’s array of hi-tech vehicles.
The convoy took off from Geely Nigeria’s flagship showroom on Adeola Odeku, Victoria Island, and passed through landmark locations, like the home of Silverbird (MBGN’s organisers) on Ahmadu Bello way, and Eko Hotel and Suites (venue for the pageant).
Okunola explained that Geely’s partnership with MBGN – where finalists automatically become representatives at international pageants, like Miss World and Miss Universe – is in tandem with the auto brand’s ethos and expertise at designing cars that embody elegance, sophistication and most importantly, reliability.
Following the successful motorcade parade, the MBGN contestants were hosted to a day of music, games and fun at Moist Beach club, Victoria Island by the Geely-Mikano team, with entertainment industry big names and friends of the {Geely-Mikano} family, including the President of the Silverbird Group, Guy Murray Bruce, in attendance.
The partnership reached a climax on September 18 at the Eko Hotel and Suites Convention Centre, when Miss Abuja, Oluchi Madubuike, who is a certified nurse, was crowned the MBGN 2021, and also the holder of the title Miss World Nigeria 2021.
Speaking after presenting the keys to the brand new Emgrand 7 to the queen, the National Sales and Brand Manager, Mikano (Motors Division), Ralph Haidar, reiterated Geely-Mikano’s commitment to supporting women empowerment in Nigeria.
He addressed the contestants, stating, “Today you are the most beautiful girls in Nigeria, tomorrow you will be the most beautiful entrepreneurs, artistes, politicians, mothers of Nigeria and Africa and the world.”
Haidar said Geely Nigeria, through Mikano international, is proud to be associated with the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria prestigious and reputable brand that has successfully groomed young Nigerian ladies into paragons of beauty and intellect.
The beautiful and brainy MBGN/Miss World Nigeria 2021 was later accompanied by members of the Silverbird team, led by Guy Murray- Bruce, to Geely’s ultra-modern showroom for the official handover ceremony of her Geely Emgrand 7.
After inspecting the car at the Geely showroom, the visibly excited Oluchi Madubuike expressed her appreciation to Geely Nigeria/Mikano International and the Silverbird Group, for the “amazing opportunity.”
She enthused over the highly endowed Emgrand 7 sedan, saying, “I love it, I can’t wait to be riding in my new car.”