Monday June 16, 2025|
The Akwa Ibom deputy governor has lauded Miss Akwa Ibom 2024/2025, Queen Unwana Philip Obot, for her advocacy for the empowerment and education of the girl child.
Senator Akon Eyakenyi, who made the commendation last week, at the three-in-one occasion comprising the launch of the book titled, “The Rising Dawn: The role of the girl child in nation building” authored by the beauty queen, her birthday celebration and the inauguration of her foundation tagged, UNWANA Foundation, which took place at CEEDAPEG Hotels, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, acknowledged with satisfaction the effort of the beauty queen in drawing attention to the plights of the girl child and seeking for avenues to end their plights.
Eyakenyi, who was represented by Mrs Queen Onuoha, noted that Queen Unwana having recognised the potentials embedded in the girl child, went further to advocate for the empowerment of the girl child using her book as the vessel for advocacy.
She said Queen Unwana’s passionate advocacy for the empowerment of the girl child aligns with the ARISE Agenda of the Umo Eno-led administration in the State, lauding her for aligning with the governor’s governance ideology.
The deputy governor congratulated her for her triple celebration and encouraged her to continuously inspire individuals and organisations to embrace the power of commitment, discipline and faith in their pursuit of success, while also remaining as voice and beacon of hope for the girl child.
The chief executive officer of Memories 96.5 FM, Mr Ubong Andrew, who chaired the occasion, said he was impressed by the zeal to succeed in life as demonstrated by Queen Unwana.
Andrew, who was represented by his wife described her as focused and passion-driven, stressing the need for all to encourage her to fly higher and do more.
The head of administration and supplies, Akwa Ibom State Hotels Management and Tourism Board, Mrs Ndifreke Adiakpan, congratulated Queen Obot for emerging the winner of the 2024 edition of Miss Akwa Ibom beauty pageant where the board was deeply involved in, assuring that the board was solidly behind her in any of her engagements.
The chief executive officer of Glimpse Charity Foundation – organisers of Miss Akwa Ibom 2024 Beauty Pageant, Lady Unyime Akpan, said Queen Unwana has set a standard in beauty pageant by authoring a book, while also creating a niche for herself by organising a three -in-one event.
Akpan, who appreciated those who have made the queen who she currently is, described her as a humble, focused and passion-driven person that despite losing in 2022 and 2023, respectively, did not relent until she won in 2024, praying for favour to attain higher height.
The book reviewer, Professor James Asuquo of the Department of Chemistry, University of Uyo, said the book which has 14 chapters with each chapter not less than three to four pages is classical and beautifully presented, and recommend it to teenagers and adults.
The author and celebrator, Queen Unwana Obot in her speech on the occasion, said the event marked a defining moment in her journey, as it was a day she had long dreamt of, prayed over, and worked tirelessly towards the launch of her debut book titled, “The Rising Dawn: The role of the girl child in nation building,” and the inauguration of her heartchild – the UNWANA Foundation.
Obot, who recalled the journey of authoring the book, said as a young woman growing up in Nigeria, she has seen first hand, the untapped potentials, silenced brilliance, and sometimes the systemic neglect of girls particularly adolescent girls across the nation.
She said the book is a clarion call to policy makers, community leaders, educators and parents to recognize and prioritise the role of the girl child in the socio-economic transformation of the nation, while also serving as a mirror that reflect the hopes, struggles, and triumphs of millions of Nigerian girls who dare to rise despite the odds stacked against them.
The beauty queen highlighted issues ranging from education and mentorship to dangers such as cultism, drug abuse, early marriage and the scourge of HIV/AIDS not as statistics but as lived realities, and therefore advocated for a system where empowerment is not seasonal, but systemic, and a situation where a girl child is not seen as a passive recipient of development but a critical architect of nationhood.
Unveiling her foundation – UNWANA Foundation which acronym, she said, stands for “United Network for the Welfare and Advancement of Nigerian Adolescent Girls,” the beauty queen stated that the foundation aims at raising strong girls and building stronger nations.
According to her, the foundation intends to provide mentorship programmes, scholarships, sanitary and health initiatives, leadership boot camps, community outreach, and a digital safe space for advocacy, storytelling and growth.
She appealed for partnership by participants at the event through policy advocacy, volunteering, mentorship, funding, or awareness creation.
“Let this not be the end of an event, but the beginning of a movement. Let’s rewrite the narrative. Let’s give our girls pens instead of pity, power instead of silence, and platforms instead of obstacles. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. The time to rise is now. The dawn is here”, she stressed.
