Danhausawa Samaila Adoyi Ogwuche is the CEO of Danhausawa Media Nigeria Limited, which intends to hold the second edition of Sarauniya Beauty Pageant, where contestants will not be skimpily dressed in swim suits and bikinis but in full northern attires as he explains to ABDULRAHEEM AODU in the interview below.
You addressed a press conference recently, to herald the coming of Sarauniya Beauty Pageant and over one month after, nothing has been heard about it. When will the beauty contest hold?
Sarauniya Beauty Pageant is part of giving back to the society. In Danhausawa Foundation we go to prisons, take items to the inmates, we do training and concerts with them to make them feel part of the society. Th e Sarauniya Beauty Pageant is to empower the Northern Nigerian women by exposing them to academic education and handwork. We had 18.contestants in the 2016 edition with four winners, who all had pet projects ranging from care for widows, donating relief materials and visiting IDP camps. Th e 2017 edition will hold in December 9th, 2017. We have already started campaigning to get contestants from across the country especially Northern Nigeria or Northern Nigerians living outside the region, after that we will put the contestants in camp to train them.
How is Sarauniya Beauty Pageant diff erent from other previous beauty pageants?
Th is is not just a beauty pageant to showcase the beauty of women; it goes beyond that, it involves ladies and women of valour, virtuous women. Th ere is a cooking competition, training on handwork like photography, sewing, nakeup and other vocational stuff s to teach our ladies in camp. During the contes on the runway, we don’t allow bikinis or swimsuits, it’s just Northern Nigerian attire or dinner gown. We don’t promote nudity. We have prizes like a brand new car, industrial sewing machine for the second placed winner to start business, industrial washing machine, professional make-up kits and other prizes to make them start their businesses and be on their own.
Which corporate organisation has agreed to sponsor the event?
For now, we are talking to lots of corporate organisations who are yet to speak to us; Nigerian Breweries Plc, Halal Foods, Guineas, Indomie and others. We also know that being from Northern Nigeria, it will not be easy having all these blue chip companies allying with us. We are reaching out to individuals in Nigeria and many governors to come in and support the noble idea. No corporate organisation has indicated interest yet.
Have you selected the judges and what is the basis of selection?
We are yet to select judges. Th at would be one of the last things that we do because we dont want to expose our judges to any compromise. We want to announce the judges in the last few days. How many contestants have so far shown interest? We just started selling forms a week ago, we just started building up but we are targeting 200 contestants, we would do screening in Abuja, Makurdi, Kaduna and Yola. We have been getting calls from Lagos so we are considering setting up a screening point in Lagos for those who might be interested.
In what ways will the society benefi t from the Sarauniya Beauty Pageant?
A lot of the neighbourhoods in Kaduna and environs have benefi tted from Sarauniya Beauty Pageant 2016. Miss Nature is building culverts in Mando, the queen, Miss Sarauniya is giving out 1,000 bags to primary school pupils In Kaduna. Miss Health is teaching school students hair styling and photography.
We have lot more than these to take girls off the streets showing them the ropes and putting them in the right direction by teaching them about cooking, vocations, entrepreneurship and business, while setting them up with start up kits to make them independent and employers of labour. We plan to bring 22 contestants to camp, each representing a state and Federal Capital Territory representing the rest of Nigeria.
Th ey would be in camp for two weeks where we will accommodate and feed them, while taking them through special trainings for the runway and for their future work. Th ere would be no dull moment as they would be put to task as they have to work very hard during the camping period. General Galadanchi has given us a camping ground with fi ve bedrooms four living rooms, a gymnasium, courtyard and halls.
Th ey would be taught catcalling, etiquette, entrepreneurship, business startup, fi nancial management and many other things. We also planned to bring in popular celebrities, people who have succeeded in life, to mentor them and talk to them. Th ere would be cooking competition and journalists would come in to check their programme; everything will be documented on video.
What is the Sarauniya Beauty Pageant estimated to cost?
Minimally, this event will cost between N40 million and N45 million, we will accommodate, feed and transport the contestants for two weeks in camp. For the grand fi nale, we will have to fl y people in. We need prizes to give out to the winners including the grand prize of a car, scholarship for the winners but when we have a sponsor who comes in and want to do extra things, the budget may shoot up.
