Renowned Nollywood actress and producer, Rita Dominic has taken over the planning of Nigeria’s prestigious beauty pageant, Miss Nigeria from her husband Fidelis Anosike.
After 16 years of orchestrating Nigeria’s prestigious beauty pageant, Miss Nigeria, Folio Communications is passing the torch to The Audrey Silva Company, the production company led by Rita Dominic, in partnership with celebrated film director Mildred Okwo.
Rita Dominic expressed her enthusiasm for this new chapter, emphasizing the importance of the Miss Nigeria Pageant as a true embodiment of a unified Nigeria.
She praised her husband, Mr. Fidelis Anosike, the founder of Folio Communications and publisher of the Daily Times newspaper, for his dedicated work over the past 16 years and announced the passing of the reins to her as they partner with TASC.
In her words, Rita Dominic, one of Africa’s most esteemed film stars, stated, “The Miss Nigeria Pageant is a true representation of One Nigeria. The platform has over the years empowered young women from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions, and I am proud of what my husband has done with the brand for 16 long years.”
“I believe I have acquired the skills and knowledge suitable for this partnership. I have been on board with him for a couple of years, watching and learning from him and others. I look forward to the next phase of Miss Nigeria.”
Mr. Anosike, recognizing the significance of this moment in the pageant’s history, lauded the original creators of Miss Nigeria and Chief Atinuke Oyelude, the first-ever Miss Nigeria, who is set to celebrate her 93rd birthday on November 16.
While he acknowledged their contributions, he believes it’s time for fresh leadership to guide Miss Nigeria, and he sees TASC as the ideal organization to carry on the legacy.
Mr. Anosike stated, “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 elevate the pageant to new heights, instilling pride in Nigeria.”
“We welcome The Audrey Silva Company into the Miss Nigeria 1957 partnership with great expectations that it will transform the Miss Nigeria platform into an empowerment trust for young Nigerian women.”
Mildred Okwo, the Managing Director of TASC, expressed their mission, “Our task at Audrey Silva is to create a product that empowers young Nigerian women and captivates a new generation raised in the digital age.”
“We understand that various forms of content are vying for their attention, but we intend to rekindle the excitement surrounding pageants for this new generation of viewers.”
Established in 1957 by the national newspaper Daily Times, Miss Nigeria initially served as an annual pageant celebrating the positive attributes of Nigerian women while awarding university scholarships.
The winner’s role was to set an example for young women to follow. In recent years, the pageant has embraced inclusivity and diversity, exemplified by the recent crowning of Shatu Garko, the first Muslim to win the pageant.
The pageant will now operate under a new business entity known as Miss Nigeria 1957 Enterprises, also known as Miss Nigeria Organization.
