The Miss Nigeria pageant will now be operated under a new business entity.
Nollywood actress Rita Dominic will now play a lead role in organising the famous Miss Nigeria pageant.
The pageant has for 16 years been organised by Folio Communications owned by Rita Dominic's husband, Fidelis Anosike.
Folio in a Saturday statement said it is handing over the production of Miss Nigeria to Rita and Audrey Silva Company (TASC), owned by actress and film director Mildred Okwo.
"The platform has, over the years, empowered young women from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions, and I am proud of what my husband, Mr Fidelis Anosike, founder of Folio Communications and Publisher of Daily Times newspaper, has done with the brand for 16 long years. I am pleased to announce that he is handing over the reins to me and partnering with TASC," Rita Dominic was quoted as saying in the statement.
She said her 25 years of film production experience in the entertainment industry has equipped her with the skills and knowledge necessary to take on Miss Nigeria.
She said, "I have acquired the skills and knowledge suitable for this partnership. I have been on board with him for a few years, watching and learning from him and others. I look forward to the next phase of Miss Nigeria."
New vista
Also speaking about the recent changes, Mr Anosike praised the original creators of Miss Nigeria and Atinuke Oyelude, the first Miss Nigeria, who will celebrate her 93rd birthday on 16 November.
Mr Anosike also stated that he believes it's time for new hands to guide Miss Nigeria, and he sees TASC as the ideal organisation to continue the legacy.
He said, "Who better to take it to the next level than my delectable wife, Rita Dominic and The Audrey Silva Company? I am confident that she will take the pageant higher to the pride of Nigeria. We welcome the Audrey Silva company into the Miss Nigeria 1957 partnership with great expectation, which will be for the Miss Nigeria platform to transition into an empowerment trust for young Nigerian women."
"Known for her intellect, fashion and style, Dominic is expected to elevate the status of the historic pageant working alongside Mildred Okwo, with whom she founded TASC, a production company well renowned for its quality content, which spans films, television and now pageants. TASC boasts a reputation for producing some of Nollywood's best films, such as 'The Meeting' and 'La Femme Anjola."'
Also speaking on the new feat, the Managing director of TASC, Mildred Okwo, said that the new leadership is set to revamp the Miss Nigeria pageant.
She said, "Our task at Audrey Silva is to create a product capable of not only empowering young Nigerian women but also exciting an entirely new generation raised on all the digital advancements in the world today. We are aware that there are all kinds of content holding them captive today, but we will make pageants fun again for a new generation of viewers."
New Board members
Rita Dominic would also chair an all-new board of directors with highly accomplished industry leaders.
The members include former Miss Nigeria & founder of ACubed Limited, Wunmi Ogunbiyi; veteran Producer, Actress & founder of Temple Productions, Ego Boyo; Country Managing Director for Microsoft Nigeria & Ghana, Olatomiwa Williams; Associate Vice President, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Aisha Kyari, Asset Manager and founder of Modd Management Company, Chioma Okigbo, and Entrepreneur Senami Ibori.
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Miss Nigeria was established in 1957 by the national newspaper Daily Times, which is now owned by Folio.
It began as an annual pageant celebrating the positive attributes of Nigerian women and awarding university scholarships.
The winner serves as an exemplary role model for other young women to follow.
In recent years, the pageant has embraced inclusivity and diversity, as seen in the recent crowning of Shatu Garko, the first Muslim to win the pageant.
The pageant will now be operated under a new business entity known as Miss Nigeria 1957 Enterprises / Miss Nigeria Organisation
