Good day folks.

We have received numerous calls, emails and inquiries in regards to the State assignments and representation of the delegates for the beauty pageant. It is imperative that I write this explanation to clear things up and diffuse the confusion.

Nigeria is a very diverse nation of millions. MNIA, Inc. in dedicated to the promotion of this diversity and the uplifting of Nigeria and Nigerians all over the world. One of the numerous ways we go about promoting this diversity is through our annual beauty pageant showcase.

First and foremost, it is very important to understand and keep in mind that Nigeria is a country rich in culture. Our cultures are ingrained and deep rooted in us and are passed down from generation to generation. Often times, the continuance of our cultures stems from our families, which teaches us about our ancestors and our cultural heritage. However, for the most part, this cultural education is limited to our immediate ethnic groups.

With the passing of time, generations of Nigerians are being born and bred in the United States with little or no understanding of these cultural heritages nor their values; as a result, we are losing that which makes us whole. Consequently, the ugliness that is “tribalism” keeps rearing its gruesome head and continues to tear us apart.

Through the beauty pageant, we aim to:

• Dispel tribalism.
• Promote diversity.
• Educate our delegates about Nigeria.
• Inspire our delegates to reach for greater heights.
• Stir their minds to think about the social problems facing Nigeria and find solutions.
• Spark their desire to strive for a change.
• Showcase their beauty, talents and accomplishments.

The Selection Process

All potential candidates go through the same process to be selected to be a delegate at the Beauty Pageant. This selection process consists of filling out the application form and paying a processing fee. See the application form here. MNIA, Inc. does its best to promote the search for delegates. The application period is usually open for a minimum of two months or 60 days.

All applications are screened for content by the team. (Please see the FAQs for the qualification requirements) We look for Nigerian ancestry, age, education, and qualifications. Only applicants who pay their processing fees are allowed to move on to the next phase of screening if they qualified.

In the second round, we interview the applicants via phone. The interview is generally informal. We go through their applications with them, discussing some of the contents. Also we give them more details about the pageant, cost impact, schedule, what will be required of them, etc. Information from their phone interviews are noted on their applications. After the interviews, some candidates are cut.

In the final round, the applications of the remaining candidates are sent to an independent Selection Committee. The committee consists of individuals from different works of life, across the country. The committee has both Nigerians and non-Nigerians for a more balanced perspective. Please note that the applicants' names are removed from their applications. Instead, we note their application number coupled with an arbitrary English name. For example, applicant: Funke Ade, will become  “Lisa #38.” The committee is tasked with reviewing all the applications and ranking them based on their qualifications. The committee does not see the pictures of the applicants since we do not put too much emphasis on their looks.

Finally, we combine all the rankings from the committee members based on a point system. For example, if there were 30 applicants in the final round, we would get back a ranking from 1 to 30 from each committee member. The number 1 ranked person receives 30 points, the 10th ranked person receives 20 points and so on and so forth. So using this point system, we aggregate the total points for each candidate based on their rankings on each committee member’s list.

The State Assignments

In 2004 when this organization was formed and we embarked on the first beauty pageant held in Washington D.C., we had to decide how the delegates will be categorized. To make our pageant unique, we thought it was best to give them an identity as opposed to the usual “Contestant #1.” That identity was to give them states in Nigeria. Then came the question, do we have them represent their actual states of origin? Well, the pitfalls of that situation were apparent. We would run into the problem of not finding contestants for certain states in Nigeria and also, some states will have multiple representatives. The approach we took was to use diversity as a means to assign the states.

Basically, this is how it works. We group the contestants by their geo-political regions of origin, i.e. Igbos, Yorubas, Deltas, Hausas, Fulanis, Efiks, etc. As part of the preparation process for the pageant, each contestant has to conduct an in depth research of the state she is representing. We randomly pair up the contestants with states from other regions of the country, so that they have a chance to research and learn as much as they can about that state. Keep in mind that under normal circumstances most of our delegates might not get a chance to learn about the states they are representing. Please see the map below for reference.

The states that are being represented depend on the final number of delegates in the pageant. At the moment, we do not have the resources, nor the financial backing to have all 36 states and Abuja represented in the Pageant. Even though the pairing is random, there are some states that we feel should be represented regardless if they were omitted in the random selection. And when that happens, we switch them.

This year, we had intended on having 15 delegates compete in the pageant. However, based on the overwhelming high scores we got back from the selection committee, we ended up with 24 delegates. As we start preparing for the show, some delegates drop out for personal reasons, and some are excused due to their inability to keep up with our standards. As a result, their states go with them. We can not control that aspect once we get started. This year, there were a total of 54 applications, with 38 making it to interview phase. The top 24 were selected based on the point system. Currently we have 19 delegates left in the running.

For the missing states, it simply means they were not assigned to a delegate or the delegates representing them are no longer in the pageant. Perhaps with more support from our community at large, we would grow to the point where every state is represented. But right now, we can only do what we can handle. As for delegates not representing their state of origin, we will NOT change that. We are fully committed to promoting diversity as I pointed out earlier and we will continue to diversify our state assignments.  

Conclusion

I hope this lengthy explanation is sufficient to clarify this issue. Let us all put tribalism aside and see this for what it is, a celebration of the women of our beloved country Nigeria. We would appreciate it if people will rescind their accusations that we are being fraudulent and exercising tribalism. We go to great lengths to make our system transparent. Because the organizers are predominantly Igbo does not mean we are partial to Igbo applicants. We can not force people to apply for the pageant. And we do not force the selection committee to select the candidates they do. We could easily make the selections ourselves and call it a day, and no one will be any wiser. There is no single northerner in the pageant because none applied, but that does not mean that the northern states will not be represented. Likewise, some of the delegates that have “Igbo” names are actually from the Delta region. It is not an “Igbo” pageant, it is a “Nigerian” pageant.

This is a show by Nigerians for Nigerians. The more people we can get to come out and support, the better for the organization. We have nothing to gain by alienating other ethnic groups of Nigeria. Take a moment and visit each delegate’s page and read their essays on the states they represent. I challenge you to be open minded and learn about other cultures of Nigeria if you are not already inclined to do so.

Now go and buy your ticket and get ready to be entertained.

Thank you.

Kenneth Emeson
President – MNIA, Inc.