Miss Earth Nigeria
Nigerian national beauty pageant
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Miss Earth Nigeria is a national beauty pageant in Nigeria to select its representative to the international Miss Earth pageant.[1][2] The pageant, with the theme "Beauties for a Cause" is organized by AMC Productions,[3] and began sending representatives to Miss Earth a year after the international pageant was established in 2001. Nigeria has achieved seven placements in Miss Earth.
| Formation | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Lagos |
| Location | |
| Members | Miss Earth |
Official language | English |
President | Ibinabo Fiberesima |
| Website | www.missearthnigeria.com |
The current titleholder is Shuntell Ezomo.
History
Originally, titleholders were contestants from rival pageants Miss Commonwealth Nigeria (Vanessa Ibene Ekeke) and Miss Nigeria (Ewemade Ogbebor), until Miss Earth Nigeria became a pageant with its own right in 2004. The winner is expected to work in collaboration with environmentalist and state parastatals on how to make water safe, check erosion, pollution among others.[4] The pageant also conducts road shows to educate people on the three R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).[5]
Nigeria produced its first Miss Earth top ten finalist when Susan Modupe Garland entered in the top 10 in 2019.
The president and national director of the pageant is Ibinabo Fiberesima,[2][6] a pageant veteran who is now a Nollywood actress.[7][8]
Titleholders
- Color key
- Declared as Winner
- Ended as runner-up
- Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
- Ended as special awards winner
Below are the Nigerian representatives to the Miss Earth pageant according to the year in which they participated. The special awards received and their final placements in the aforementioned global beauty competition are also displayed.
| Year | Miss Earth Nigeria | Placement | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Vanessa Ibene Ekeke[9] | Unplaced | ||
| 2003 | Eva Ewemade Ogbebor[7] | Unplaced | ||
| 2004 | Ufuoma Stacey Ejenobor[10][11] | Unplaced | ||
| 2005 | Ethel Okosun [12] | Unplaced | ||
| 2006 | Ivy Obrori Edenkwo[13] | Unplaced | ||
| 2007 | Stacey Garvey[14] | Top 16[15] | ||
| 2008 | Ezinne Uko [16] | Top 16[17] | ||
| 2009 | Nkesi Gift Okandu (Dethroned)[18] | |||
| Modesta Tochi Alozie (Replaced Okandu)[19][20] | Unplaced | |||
| 2010 | Inarah Anthonia Isaiah[21] | Unplaced | ||
| 2011 | Munachi Chinyere Uzoma (Dethroned) | Unplaced | ||
| 2012 | No Contest Held | |||
| 2013 | Marie Miller | Unplaced | ||
| 2014 | ||||
| Damola Akinsanya (Replaced Uwakwe) | Unplaced |  Best Teacher | ||
| 2015 | Vivian Chinonye Chukwukere | Unplaced | ||
| 2016 | Chioma Precious Obiadi | Unplaced |  National Costume (Africa) | |
| 2017 | Eucharia Windy Akani | Unplaced | Long Gown (Group 2) | |
| 2018 | Maristella Chidiogo Okpala | Unplaced | National Costume (Africa) | |
| 2019 | Modupe Susan Garland | Top 10 |  Swimsuit (Fire) National Costume (Africa) | |
| 2020 | Gwenivere Chioma Ifeanyieze | Top 20[22] | National Costume (Africa) Evening Gown Competition (Africa) Sport Wear Competition (Africa) Talent (Sing) (Africa) Swimsuit Competition (Africa) | |
| 2021 | Christine Telfer Ugah Edet | Top 20 | Best Eco Video (Africa) | |
| 2022 | Esther Oluwatosin Ajayi | Top 12 | Darling of the Press (Africa) Best Fauna Outfit (Africa) Best National Costume (Africa) Swimsuit Competition (Africa) Talent Competition (ECO Group) | |
| 2023 | Shelly Uzoagba Ugoma[23] | Unplaced | ||
| 2024 | Shuntell Ezomo | Top 12 | Upcycling Fashion Show (Air Group) | |
| 2025 | Divine Nelson[24] | Unplaced | ||
| 2026 | TBA | TBA | ||
Other notable contestants
- Chikaodili Nna-Udosen (2015) - TNQ 2020
Controversy
In 2009, Law student Nkesi Okandu was dethroned by pageant organisers after she refused to compete in Miss Globe International as opposed to Miss Earth. Fiberesima later claimed that she had received threatening phone calls from Okandu's family who argued that her substitution was unfair. The newly crowned queen was labelled "rude" by the organisers, and was forced to resign after just two weeks, allowing second-place winner Biochemistry student Modesta Alozie to compete at Miss Earth instead, and reign as Miss Earth Nigeria for the remaining eleven months. It has since been argued that this was a plan to eliminate the winner, noting that while Okandu had signed her contract on September 25 (the same day she was asked to compete in for Miss Globe International), Alozie was already being credited as the winner of Miss Earth Nigeria on the Miss Earth website as early as September 22.[18]
Munachi Uzoma, who won the pageant in 2011, sued the organisers for breach of contract following their failure to give her the N1,000,000 cash prize and brand new car, and disclosed that some of her predecessors also suffered similar treatment.[25]