Elizabeth Nganna Creates Record as First Miss Olamma Africa
A leading literary torchbearer and Founder, Rainbow Foundation, Koko Kalango has lifted the veil off the new book“One Love” which chronicles the contribution of Jamaicans to the development of Nigeria. Yink a Olatunbosun reports
Radiantly beautiful, and eloquent are the features that best describe Elizabeth Nganna, the undisputable winner of Miss Olamma Africa Beauty Pageant.
The Abia state-born fashion designer made a new name for herself at the maiden edition of the pageantry which held in Enugu on Saturday, February 13, this year.
In a very keen contest massively applauded for its transparent processes, Nganna who hails from Isuikwuato LGA, Abia State, defeated 1,228 contestants from seven African countries and six Southeast states to seize the day.
This new title has enviably earned her N1.5m and a Honda Civic car, which was presented to her by the CEO of Miss Olamma Africa Pageant, Ogbuefi Ezima.
For Nganna it was a time to express gratitude to God as well as the organisers for the platform to display her skills. “I feel so excited; I didn’t even see it coming but God did it. I return all glory to God.”
She recalled how just from an online registration to a physical crowning “I saw myself as a winner. I said to myself ‘I am going to win this because I am Olamma Igbo.”
However , the Abuja-based fashion designer’s morale was dampened when she got to the camp and saw other girls. Intimidating she thought. “This is really competitive. But I came with the spirit of a winner; I was determined.”
The Ebonyi State University of Port Harcourt graduate has a record of wearing the crown. She won the Most Beautiful Girl in Biochemistry, during her service year.
For Miss Nganna who is skilled in designing wears like native, English and casuals, her first project will be to empower young Igbo girls, starting from my community.
They will be equipped with skill acquisition specifically in fashion designing. “I want to empower about two hundred girls in my community. I want to give them hope that if I can make it as a fashion designer and a model, they too can make it.”
As a vibrant Igbo lady, Nganna is of the opinion that once you find your passion in life, then things will become less cumbersome.
Now for her pet project, Miss Nganna will empower 1,000 ladies from all over the Southeastern states with the skills to make marketable fashion and also present them with machines. Through this project, she enthused, she can equip and harness budding talents in the fashion world. This she hopes to achieve within the next seven months. “I will welcome partners who will work with me to achieve this laudable and daring project, ”Nganna added.
At the pageantry, there were crème de la crème of the society present. They included Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugonna Ibe, representing the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Group Executive Chairman/CEO of Chicason Group, Chief Alexander Okafor.
Others are: Group Chairman, Chinmark Group, Dr Marksman Ijiomah; celebrity Pastor Chuk wu emekaO han ae mere( O du meje ); John Okafor (Mr. Ibu); Rita Edochie; Prince Nwafor; J. Martins; Slowdog; and Otigba among others.
In the words of the organisers, Olamma Africa Pathfinders Award will bean annual and a stand-alone event that will continue to celebrate Igbo sons and daughters who are promoting the culture, business, lifestyle and the Igbo ecosystem across the world. It is the first of its kind.
While Mira bel An os ike was the first runner up, Okpalaonwuka Onyinye emerged the second runner up, both from Anambra State According to the management, registration for Season 2 will commence in March 2021. Each state will host its independent pageant from where five winners will emerge to represent their respective states in The Contest of Champions.
The Contest of Champions will enjoy three months of advertising on CNN and other global media platforms. This will promote the host state and position international audience to come to Nigeria to experience the rich culture of Ndi Igbo.
‘One Love’ as a title sounds familiar to many fans of the Jamaican reggae music legend, Bob Marley. But more importantly, it has become synonymous with unity, diversity and sheer humanity. For the author with Nigerian Jamaican parentage, Koko Kalango, the title best describes her latest literary offering, planned as a memento, to mark the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Jamaica. ‘One Love’ captures the 174-year experience and is divided into three parts namely pre-amalgamation (1846-1914), amalgamation to independence (1915-1960) and independence to date (1961-2020).
Kalango’s book has made that part of history very interesting by unearthing the stories of Jamaican nationals whose sojourn to Nigeria had been influenced by business, marriages, missionary service, education, diplomatic relations amongst others. At the recent virtual launch of the book, the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka who was the Special Guest of Honour alsodescribed the book as a ‘most essential contribution to the literature of the African diaspora.’
“This book is not just a chronicle of people who left one country for another - it is more than that. This is a story of a stolen people who found their way back home, assimilated into the society they encountered on their return, and made impacts across all facets of the Nigerian society. To our Jamaican Nigerians, we are honoured that life led you here and this book is a reminder,’’ he said.
The virtual book launch also had special guest, MrEsmond Reid, the Jamaican Ambassador to Nigeria. With review by Chibundu Onuzo, a foremost novelist and historian, no fewer than 155 participants joined in from Nigeria, Jamaica, US and the UK.
A solemn moment of recognition was held in honour of the author ’s mother, Mrs. Claire Bassey who passed away two weeks before the launch as well as others who the author had interviewed for the book but passed away before the launch. They are Mrs. Ezikpe, Mrs.Ndoma-Egba and Dr. Baxter-Grillo.
‘One Love’ explores how Jamaicans have contributed to Nigeria’s development in the fields of education, health, enterprise, media, religion and more. This legacy continues through the work of offspring of Jamaican descent. This book project considers the efforts of these men and women as invaluable and deserving of documentation; one that would enrich the records of both countries and strengthen the ties between them.
The author, Kalango was the Project Director UNESCO World Book Capital in 2014, a year-long project that saw Port Harcourt in global literary limelight. She has over three decades work experience across education, communication and administration. A weekly lifestyle columnist (Foot Prints renamed ‘Colours of Life’ in THISDAY Newspaper on Sundays), she founded the Rainbow Book Club in 2005 and kicked off the “Get Nigeria Reading Again”campaign to encourage reading for personal and national development. She organized the annual Port Harcourt Book Festival in 2008.
She has compiled and edited two books namely, ‘Nigerian Literature- ‘A Coat of Many Colours: An Anthology of 50 writers in 50 years with Foreward by President Goodluck Jonathan (2012), African Literature- A Coat of Many Colours: An Anthology of 50 authors in 50 years of the African Union (2015) with foreword by Chief Emeka Anyaoku. She also co-edited, “10 years around Nigeria” (2014) amongst others. She is the author of an annual daily Christian devotional, ‘Colours of Life.’