Miss Kasi Usani who represented Cross River State has emerged as the new Face of Niger Delta Cultural Pageant (FONDCUP) 2021/2022 edition.
The well-attended grand finale of the event which was held on Friday, October 8, at the Duellaz Event Centre, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, featured appearances by outstanding Niger Delta sons, daughters and talented youths.
Miss Usani beats eight other outstanding maidens from the other Niger Delta States to emerge the overall winner.
Edo state’s Miss Faith Iguodala Etinosasere emerged as the 1st Runner Up, while Miss Grace Ekrakene from Delta state emerged 2nd runner Up.
The new Crowned Queen, Miss Usani who got a brand-new car and other endorsement deals, will be involved in running a project with the World Kindness Initiative Nigeria (WKIN) and signed to FONDCUP Nigeria Limited for one year.
As the Face of Niger Delta, her job will be to preach love, kindness, and show to Nigeria and the world that the Niger Deltans are beautiful and hardworking people. She will also be trained in any skill of her choice. She will work with a telecommunication company and advert agency for a period of one year.
FONDCUP is a cultural pageant organized by FONDCUP Nigeria Limited, in partnership with World Kindness Initiative Nigeria (WKIN). The 2021 edition is aimed at showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Niger Delta region and the enormous beauty of her maidens.
According to Ms Elizabeth Efe Era, CEO of FONDCUP Nigeria Limited, the organiser of the event, “The New Face of the Niger Delta Cultural Pageant, Miss Kasi Usani who emerged overall winner will serve as an Ambassador of Kindness and she will be addressed as such. She will contribute greatly to the growth of the organization, the Niger Delta region and the country at large.”
Miss Era adds, “The pageant was aimed at changing the negative narratives of the Niger Delta region in addition to showing to the world, that the region maidens and people are peaceful, loving and strong hardworking people.
In a nation bedeviled by ethnic, religious and political differences, the Face of Niger Delta Cultural Pageant (FONDCUP) 2021 is a unifying factor, bringing beautiful faces from different states together.
Speaking at the Grand Finale of the event and asked why she decided to organize the FONDCUP cultural pageantry, Miss Era says: “I chose to do a cultural pageant because I want to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Niger Delta people. People don’t really know much about our culture and who we are. People only get to know about the activities of militants, kidnappers and other criminals but I want to change all that. I want to show the world that there is something very beautiful about the Niger Delta people, and it’s not just because our maidens are beautiful and intelligent women. We are trying to identify with our culture and tradition.”
“The Niger Delta region has been known to be a hostile region over the years and this pageant is fashioned to promote peace, socio-cultural integration, tourism, human capital development and advocacy projects in Nigeria,” she adds.
One of the attendants at the event commented, “Face of Niger Delta Cultural Pageant is a brand to be proudly associated with! Been a while I saw pageant organizers present a brand-new car for a prize! I love this!”
The cultural pageant which started a few years back but is now rebranded is aimed at showcasing the need to imbibe the culture of kindness in the Niger Delta region, as exemplified by its people.
