NIJ Crowns Pageantry Kings and Queens

 

In her ongoing 2021 Student Week, the Nigerian Institute of Journalism crown winners of the pageantry contest kings and queens of the year.

Ekpo Victoria (HND1) and Nura Yussuf (ND 1) emerged the Queen, Miss NIJ and King, Mr NIJ respectively. Other winners were Mr Amity, Adesanya Emmanuel (HND 1), Miss Amity  Beatrice Aluko(ND1), Mr Photogenic Demilade Alabi (ND1), Miss Photogenic Oluwatoyin Saporu(ND1)

The pageantry contest to choose the Mr NIJ, Miss NIJ, Mr Amity, Miss Amity, Mr Photogenic and Miss Photogenic is one out of the week-long event in the annual Student Week Program of the school which did not hold last year due to the COVID-19 Lockdown that disrupted the academic session.

Newbie HND 1 Student Emerge as Miss NIJ

In a short interview with Ekpo Victoria, Miss NIJ 2021, she expressed her delight in the win saying she was an ND graduate from Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade who had never run for any competition, not even pageantry.

"I was doubting it real big, I felt I wasn’t good enough physically or intelligent to go through the pageantry but the people around lifted my spirits. I got to remember what God said about me. God said he knew me before I was born, he said I am beautiful and wonderfully made, he reminded me that I shall be the head and not the tail. And boom, God grant me a favour 😊" Victoria said.

When asked about how she felt, she said:  "What I felt is unexplainable. My mind and body had a mixed feeling. My mind was like did they just pronounce you the winner?
And my body was given this oh yeah I told ya, God got you and you just won, then my eyes brought out the hot tears it had ever before I took the bold step to get the form (for the pageantry). So yeah.  I was overwhelmed!"

National Diploma 1 Produced Mr NIJ and Three Others

National Diploma 1 class produced the highest number of winners with four contestants, Mr NIJ, Miss Amity, Mr Photogenic and Miss Photogenic leaving just two to HND 1.
Mr NIJ, Nura Yusuf said he was encouraged to put in for the contest by a colleague and he agrees to it, seeing it as a means to also express himself as a student of the institute.

Unofficial Mr NIJ Emerges Mr Amity

A quite interesting twist of the event is the story of Adesanya Emmanuel who had been nicknamed Mr NIJ by fellow students from the first semester eventually emerge as Mr Amity.
Emmanuel was nicknamed Mr NIJ by his close friends in the first semester due to his good looks and vibrant sense of dress, from there it grew to popular acceptance by his classmates, other students and even some lecturers.
Although he didn't eventually emerge the already proclaimed Mr NIJ, he didn't lose too much by still grabbing Mr Amity.

Students Promote Heritage During Student Week

Students of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism promote cultural heritage through dressing and activities on the Cultural Day during the 2021 Student Week of the institute.

The Cultural Day which fell on the second day of the one-week lecture-free is a day used to celebrate the cultural heritage of the students, where they are expected to wear attires that promotes their culture and participates in activities that celebrate it.

Students came in different beautiful attires representing various Nigerian culture which they are from, the Hausa/Fulanis, Yorubas, Igbo and other various culture in Nigeria.

Some students who are from a certain culture even came to the event dressed in an attire known for another culture, to show their love and camaraderie for each other.

. Ubani Raymond extreme-left and James Abraham exteme-right, southern Nigerians in Agbada.

Students Hold Cultural Drama and Dance

A stage drama and cultural song and dance were performed on the stage in the school hall to entertain guest and students who came to the event.
These activities were organised and performed by students who are cultural program presenters at the school radio, Pen Radio with the support and contribution of other students. Damilola Mc OmoMummy, Oyetunde Okikioluwa, Abosede Hannah, Adizue Kingsley Chukwuebuka, Ibrahim Firdaus, Ajayi Olajumoke, Nura Yusuf and some other students acted the play titled "The Gatekeeper" written by Mc Omomummy, and did the drama and cultural dance.

A recording of the cultural day program was also made available on Instagram NIJ Cultural Day IG Video

At the end of the event, students who identify with each other either as tribesmen or kinsmen, classmates, colleagues and friend took pictures at the specially decorated photograph stand.