Culture and Tourism

Cultural Boost, As Face Of Epic Africa Pageantry Launched In Abuja

Published

4 years ago

July 7, 2021

Joel Ajayi

A contest aimed at celebrating diverse cultural endowments of African countries and also to showcase their uniqueness to a global audience has begun formally in Nigeria.

Also, the organizers say the contest is to bring back the lost glory of African culture and exhibit their innate and outward beauty.

The face of epic Africa pageantry 2021, the premier edition, which kicked off over the weekend to a grand finale date, come November this year , is already generating waves among young, beautiful girls across Africa, with many jostling to contest for honours at the event.

Speaking at the press conference, on Sunday in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer CEO Face of epic Africa 2021, Mr Ojo Anthony, said the project is envisioned to encourage young African girls between the ages of 18 and 28 to showcase their culture, intelligence, family values and knowledge on African culture, as well as other unique values.

He said the contest will go a long way in bringing back the lost glory of Africa’s culture to the continent.

Mr. Anthony revealed that face of epic Africa pageantry is a rare platform uniquely packaged to enable young African girls display their beauty, elegance, artistic skills, intelligence, leadership qualities and deep knowledge of cultural heritage.

According to him, we want to teach them the value of Africa, we are looking at the cultural aspect of Africa, where we have the Zulu of South Africa, Asantee of Ghana, three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, amongst others, to promote our culture.

“We want an event that will make the contestants independent even after the contest. The winner, 1st and 2nd runners up will work with our company for one year to have more knowledge about self-esteem.

We are doing this, just to bring back the African culture, the western culture has eaten into us that we have forgotten the Africa culture, the damage European life has done to us is more than good.

On her own, the pageantry communicator of face of epic Africa, Eneh Gold, while giving hint on the modality of the event, said: “there are arrangements to camp the contestants for ten days and its open to all Africans ladies from 18-28 years, we are going to train and groom them on how to become a queen.

“We are expecting close to 20 contestants, and in every beauty pageant there is always a star prize, we have everything in place, we intend to give a car and other prizes for 1st and second runner up and also, we have consolation prizes for all our contestants.

When asked how to communicate with other African countries? She replied: “We have social media to communicate with them, a platform to get them registered with a N5000 registration fee.”

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Creative Industry

NTDA, ITPN Sign Pact to Enhance Professionalism in Tourism Sector

Published

14 hours ago

June 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

In a strategic move to strengthen professionalism and build capacity within Nigeria’s tourism industry, the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has forged a partnership with the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN).

During a courtesy visit to the Authority, the ITPN delegation led by Mrs. Fatimah Obadaki, Chairperson, FCT Chapter emphasized the need for structured collaboration aimed at equipping tourism personnel with industry-relevant skills and enhancing service standards across the sector.

She highlighted that the visit was rooted in the institute’s mission to foster partnerships that promote high standards of service delivery and human capital development in the Nigerian tourism and hospitality sectors.

In his remarks, Dr. Olaleye Taiwo Famogbiyole, FITPN, Registrar of the ITPN, FCT Chapter, emphasized the pressing need to bridge the skill gap between academic knowledge and industry requirements. “The knowledge our graduates bring into the industry is no longer sufficient. We must adopt industry-recognized training programs to align university education with practical industry expectations. As an awarding body within the hospitality, travel, and allied trades ecosystem, we see a vital need to professionalize the sector,” Dr. Famogbiyole stated.

He further called for collaboration with NTDA in training staff in tour operations, tour guiding services and destination management. He proposed that NTDA staff be enrolled as members of the institute and benefit from its tailored training programs.

Dr. Famogbiyole also commended NTDA for its unwavering support of the National Tourism and Transportation Summit (NTTS), one of ITPN’s flagship initiatives. “NTDA has been a consistent and invaluable partner in the success of the NTTS over the years,” he noted.

In response, Mr. Ovie Esewhaye, Director overseeing the Office of the Director General of NTDA, welcomed the ITPN team and praised their resilience and commitment to professionalizing the sector despite prevailing economic challenges.

“At NTDA, we are repositioned for effective performance through strategic collaborations. We are open to partnerships that enhance the capabilities of our workforce. I pledge that all NTDA directors will be enrolled as members of the Institute and we will ensure our staff benefit from the various training programs offered by ITPN,” Mr. Esewhaye assured.

He further revealed that NTDA is undergoing a digital transformation and working towards ISO certifications to improve operational efficiency. “We want to be a benchmark for tourism standards in Africa,” he said.

Mr. Esewhaye reaffirmed NTDA’s commitment to the National Tourism and Transportation Summit and expressed willingness to participate in its upcoming edition. He also accepted ITPN’s invitation to participate in the Abuja Tourism Roundtable scheduled for July 2025, emphasizing, “As long as it has to do with promoting tourism, we will be there.”

The visit marked a significant step in strengthening institutional ties aimed at enhancing professionalism and capacity within Nigeria’s tourism sector.

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