All hail Miss FUTA

A 100-Level Information Technology student, Oluwatosin Olaiye, has won the maiden beauty pageant of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State. The show was organised by the Students Union Government (SUG) in collaboration with Ignit Entertainment. DANIEL OLADELE reports.

The exuded confidence as she walked to the podium in measured steps. Beaming with smiles and acknowledging cheers from the ecstatic crowd, Miss Oluwatosin Olaiya was crowned as the Most Beautiful Girl at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State.

The 100-Level Information Technology student became the first student to be decorated as Miss FUTA, winning the grand prize of N150,000 at the maiden beauty pageant organised by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) in collaboration with Ignit Entertainment. The event was aimed at creating awareness on breast cancer.

After weeks of auditioning, the campus literally stood still for the show, which was graced by a popular artiste, Mayorkun.

The pageant had 12 contestants, who jostled for the coveted prize. They performed dance and drama, and recited poems in support of the event’s theme: No to breast cancer.

The contestants educated members of the audience on how to prevent breast cancer and how to identify its symptoms. The contestants’ submissions were backed by in-depth knowledge and contemporary researches on the ailment.

The contenders were assessed by a six-member panel of assessors. They were scored based on their eloquence, self-confidence, quality of knowledge they shared and their dress mode.

At the end of the activities, the judges announced Oluwatosin as winner of the pageant. Aleenia Bonny was declared the first runner-up, while Kofoworola Yusuf became the second runner-up.

Oluwatosin described the feat as a “stepping stone”, dedicating the prize to her fellow contestants. She promised to use her personality to improve social life on the campus.

She said: “I am happy to be crowned Miss FUTA, which is a great feat for me as a model. The contest is a stepping stone for me and other contestants. It is a step forward in improving social activities in the school. My knowledge and experience became widened in the course of the contest. I invested time on rehearsals and spent personal resources to ensure that I gave in my best. I am sure this experience would help me in my subsequent activities.”

Although, she did not win the contest, Aleenia was excited after she was announced as the first runner-up.

She said: “It was a good start for me. I believe everyone who participated is a winner, because we all deserved the crown. Like it is in all contest, there can always be only one winner. So, Oluwatosin is the one who the judges assessed to be the best.”

Asked if it was the end of her modeling career, Aleeenia said: “For me, Miss FUTA pageant is the beginning of more good things to come. I will not be weighed down by the unfavourable outcome of the pageant, rather I will work hard to win other contests I will partake in programmes outside  the school.”

Kofoworola said she would propagate the knowledge about breast cancer she acquired. “The contest was not only to showcase our physical beauty and performance, it is also to impart knowledge about breast cancer. I will continue to create awareness about cancer and share this message with my peers within and outside the school to save people from the disease,” she said.

The event also featured comedy and music performance by the guest artiste, Mayorkun, who dazzled the audience with his hit songs.

The union’s Public Relation Officer (PRO), Ayomide Fowowe, said the event revived social activities on campus, adding: “The wonderful thing about the pageant is that, it promotes awareness on prevention of a disease affecting the womenfolk.”

The major supporter of the show, Mr Agbaje Oluwabanji, who recently graduated from the school, said the pageant was informed by poor social life on the campus.

He said: “In my five years of study, the campus could be likened to a regimented environment where people do not socialise. In my final year, I started to nurture the idea of the pageant to take the campus out of boredom and make students socialise. This is my way of giving back to the school that made me who I am.”

He added that the event was also used as a tool to fight ignorance about breast cancer.