By Fatimah Muhammed
The organisers of the Miss Naija Beauty and Style Pageant have unveiled the 2026 edition with a commitment to promoting Nigerian culture, domestic tourism and leadership.
The Founder and Convener of the pageant, Mr Samaila Adoyi, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja during the unveiling of the 2026 edition, themed “The Bold and The Beautiful.”
Adoyi said the theme is designed to inspire young Nigerian women to go beyond physical beauty by embracing leadership, resilience, intelligence and entrepreneurship.
According to him, the pageant has continued to produce women making meaningful contributions to the fashion industry and other sectors.
Adoyi said culture would remain central to the 2026 edition, with contestants expected to showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage through indigenous attire, languages and local cuisines.
He added that cooking would become a major aspect of the competition for the first time to promote Nigerian foods from different regions of the country.
“We encourage the young women to come in their cultural attire, speak their own languages and learn how to cook their local foods.
“That is why we are incorporating cooking this year. We want to work with seasoning brands across the country to promote local dishes from the North-West, North-Central, South-East and other regions,” he said.
The founder also said auditions would be held in major cities, including Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Abuja, with Kaduna also being considered.
According to him, the nationwide auditions are part of efforts to encourage domestic tourism and promote greater appreciation of Nigeria’s cultural diversity.
Adoyi said the pageant sought to project positive narratives about Nigeria while encouraging citizens to explore opportunities within the country.
He also urged young women to aspire to leadership positions across different professions and sectors.
According to him, although women now account for a significant proportion of students in higher institutions, they remain underrepresented in leadership positions.
“We have gone beyond encouraging women just to go to school, there are more women in school than men, but there are still more men in top positions.
“I want to encourage young women to step up and take leadership roles,” he said.
Explaining the theme, Adoyi said “The Bold and The Beautiful” celebrates women who combine beauty with courage, integrity, resilience and excellence.
He said the pageant aimed to inspire more women to excel in professions such as aviation, politics, finance, media and other fields traditionally dominated by men.
“If women are going to take charge, they have to be bold enough. If you want to rise above limitations, you must be willing to step forward,” he said.
Adoyi said registration details for the 2026 edition would be announced in due course as preparations continued for nationwide auditions. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz