5 MINUTES WITH MISS NIGERIA 2015

With just a few days to go before the crowning of Miss Nigeria on 19th of December 2016, Pamela Peter-Vigboro Leesi is putting the final touches to her reign and she says to Konye Chelsea Nwabogor that she is ready to embark on the new journey that comes with life after the crown.

What kind of a year has it been for you and what has been the most outstanding moment of your reign?

This past one year has been of the major highlights of my entire life so far. It’s been such a wonderful and challenging experience. The platform of Miss Nigeria is really one where you get to have hands-on, experiential learning. I have been opportuned to speak at different events, meet and share my experience with young people like myself and be a source of inspiration and generally, I have experienced so much growth in such little time.

I think the most outstanding moment of my reign was when I was trained under the tutelage of the legendary Civil rights activist Dr Bernard Lafayette on nonviolence conflict resolution at the Emory University in Atlanta. Getting to meet and learn from somebody as inspiring as him was just a huge honour for me.

Part of the responsibility of any beauty queen is one of a role model particularly for young women. What have you brought to this role and for what would you particularly be remembered?

Well, I like to believe that as perspectives differ from one person to another, so have young women been inspired by me in ways that are unique to them and their perspective. That being said, my message to young women has always being to love and accept themselves and also put in their best in developing themselves and I really hope more than a few girls have been inspired to drop their fears and love themselves. This would mean a whole lot to me.

There are various challenges facing young people today; in your opinion, what is the most serious issue that young Nigerian ladies have to grapple with?

I find that there’s a lot of stereotypes being placed on young Nigerian women as to how they should live, what is expected of them and sometimes even how far a woman should aim and this in turn, has affected the self worth and confidence of a lot of young women making them operate in capacities far less than their potential. Also, I don’t think enough is being done by the society to protect young women from domestic abuse and the likes. It’s surprising the damage this can do to a woman’s self esteem when she feels vulnerable and without protection. Finally, I think young women are a gift to any society, full of youth and curiosity, brimming with hope and creative energy and with the right type of support, all of this can be harnessed to ensure our young ladies grow into strong, passionate and positive women who go on to impact positively in the society in more ways than one.

Beauty is not superficial – it comes from within. As a beautiful woman, how have you tried to get others to see the beauty that lies within each and every one of them?

I believe that the best way to create change is to be the change you want to see. I mean when I converse with young women like myself, I try to let them know that they are more than meets the eye, but one can only say so much, and so more importantly, I try to live my life with the knowledge that, my beauty comes from within, and also when there’s an opportunity to, I share my story about times when I have struggled with myself to realize that I am much more than my physical beauty, in the hope that this inspires them to see their own, or at least start looking within. It is because of other women who were bold enough to go within and find themselves and their true beauty that I got inspired in the first place and so I hope that by shining my light, I can spark some other girl’s own.

The Miss Nigeria platform advocates for environmental issues via The Green girl project. How well have you done with that and do you anticipate continuous work for this cause?

Yes, The Green Girl Project is such a wonderful platform, one that I really connect to because it aims at advocating for a sustainable environment but this time from the stand point of Young Women. As Women, we are constantly interacting with the environment and so it is only fair that our voices be heard in the movement for environmental sustainability. The project kick started sometime this year and I was opportuned to collaborate with the Ministry for Environment by participating in the launch of the Ogoni clean up , and I still look forward to participating and creating a positive change in our environment. That being said, the “Green Girl” Project is one that aims to create change over a long period of time and so it doesn’t end with me, the Queens after me will still continue with the project for a period of five years to ensure that impact is truly felt.

What do you want to see in the next Miss Nigeria, and what do you hope that she gets to accomplish?

I have had a great time reigning as Miss Nigeria and I hope that the next Queen gets to enjoy, learn and grow from her time with the crown as well. I believe the next Queen will have her own goals that she wants to achieve and I hope that she is able to surpass them and also be a source of inspiration for young women in Nigeria.

What else should we know about your Miss Nigeria experience?

Well, I’ve pretty much said everything. It’s been a wonderful one year and I’m sure the experience I’ve gathered will serve to improve my life as I move further with my life. Also I’m really just grateful to have experienced something as life changing and beautiful as this.

What are some other perks of the title and the pageant industry, in general?

Well there’s always the special “royal” treatment that comes with the crown, and people generally tend to pay more attention when they find out I’m Miss Nigeria. Also, getting a lot of free goodies from fashion designers, Spas etc... ah, it’s been a good year oh... Lol!