The organisers of the maiden edition of the Queen of IBILE Pageant awards and reality show on Wednesday said that the event would further promote tourism in Lagos State.
Mrs Olayinka Edu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Platinum Entertainment Limited, and the convener of the pageant, said this at a press briefing and the unveiling of Queen of Ibile project at the Freedom Park on Lagos Island.
Edu, who is also the producer of the project, said that the content of the programme would be strictly indigenous and that the show would be historic.
Our correspondent reports that the project was in partnership with Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA).
“The Lagos Government, on this Queen of IBILE project, is placed on a platter of gold as a tourist haven to a savoured public.
“As captured in our society today, there are numerous societal and historical decadence coupled with a lot of misconceptions about the true identity of Lagos.
“The mission of Queen of IBILE project is to shed more light on the unique identity of Ibile and provide lots of historical insights into the administrative divisions of Lagos state.
“This will be with proper research and documentation gathered from the traditional rulers of each administrative division,”she said.
Edu said that the idea of Queen of IBILE was inspired by various happenings in Lagos which included its numerous unique festivals, myths and royal coronation.
“IBILE, asides from being a Yoruba word meaning, “indigenous daughter or son of the soil”, it is also an acronym derived from the five administrative divisions of Lagos State; Ikeja , Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos and Epe.
“These administrative divisions have distinctive cultures and traditions but have unitedly contributed to the Lagis State usually addressed as the ‘Centre of Excellence’.
“As exemplified, Queen of IBILE is a community-based project that seeks to debunk the popular notion of the big city of Lagos as a ‘No Man’s Land’.
“It is also an indigenous state with rich cultural values,” she said.
Edu also revealed that the eight-week Queen of IBILE Pageant reality show would explore different innovative ideas that would make it a different content from the contemporary pageant shows.
“The Queen of IBILE Pageant Awards and reality show seeks to redefine contemporary pageantry, empower the girl child, educate and promote tourism, arts and culture in Lagos State and beyond.
“While entertaining, the show will also generate more employment opportunities, encourage team spirit and arouse intellectual quests for our origin.
“Our city, Eko, will be known from the perspective of each housemate while educating and entertaining themselves and the viewers on the history of Lagos,” she said.
Edu noted that the reality show would on its own be a campaign against social menace, negative activities and also devoid of explicit content.
“The reality show will be a homemade cultural orientation thereby eradicating the tendencies of involvement in negative activities offering several positive alternatives to securing a brighter future for the girl child.
“The Queen of IBILE Pageant Awards and Reality goes beyond the eight-week project, the girls are empowered and the Ibile mansion is retained as a research and a tourist centre.
“As this is the pioneer edition, I believe the show will be a pace setter to other creative shows,” she said.
Edu said that the auditioning for the reality show would come up in September.
The Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Solomon Bonu, commended the organisers of the show adding that it would add value to the cultural heritage of the state.
“I commend the organisers of this show for the initiative because this type of innovation is what directly falls in line with the “THEME” agenda of Gov. Sanwo-Olu.
“This show seeks to redefine the negative parts of the reality shows in Nigeria by promoting our real cultural heritage and also seeks to promote tourism in Lagos State.
“This show will identify with the uniqueness of the diversity of culture Lagos State is blessed with, uphold our culture and tell our story to the entire world through its broadcast,” he said.
