Nigeria: A Fleeting Passport to the World

22 November 2001
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Everything beautiful has its moment and then passes away - Luis Cernuda

It was a dramatic moment both for the young Kalabari girl from Nigeria and even for the millions of viewers across the world. Immediately the announ-cement was made that Agbani Darego had become the new Miss World, the apron she was wearing as 'Miss Nigeria' was removed with a new one with the inscription 'Miss World' now put on her. Somebody muttered wryly that what happened symbolizes the way God changes the fortune of a person. Within a twinkle of an eye, one life was just transformed for good. Of course whether we all realise it or not, the life of that girl can never be the same again. And here I am not even thinking like many Nigerians, who have been converting, in their imagination, the $100,000 prize money into the staggering amount it would fetch in Naira.

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