How Anna Banner Bagged Most Beautiful Girl Crown

MGBN winner

Governor Seriake Dickson, Guy Murray Bruce, Anna Ebiere Banner

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE/ Yenagoa

Last night 20 July, 18-year old Anna Ebiere Banner was crowned the new Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.

Banner, representing Bayelsa State, outshone 31 other beauties to win the most coveted crown during a night full of glamour inside the Banquet Hall of the Bayelsa State Government House.

She was crowned by the immediate past MBGN, Isabella Ayuk.

Governor Seriake Dickson, Guy Murray Bruce, Anna Ebiere Banner
Governor Seriake Dickson, Guy Murray Bruce, Anna Ebiere Banner
And as the new queen, Banner walked home with N1million cash prize, an investment package worth N500,000 from a finance company, a brand new car, Cartier luxury wristwatch from Polo Limited and most importantly, she will represent Nigeria at the upcoming Miss World Beauty pageant holding in Indonesia in 28 September.

Winner MBGN 2013: Miss Bayelsa,  Anna Ebiere Banner
Winner MBGN 2013: Miss Bayelsa, Anna Ebiere Banner
Not only that, Banner, as an indigene of Bayelsa, the host state, was appointed the Special Assistant on Culture and Tourism to Governor Henry Seriake Dickson. She will also serve as the state’s ambassador.

Stephanie Okwu, a 19-year old undergraduate of University of Lagos and representing Imo state, emerged the first runner-up. She will represent Nigeria in the Miss Universe 2013 beauty pageant competition in Moscow, Russia.

20-year old Powede Lawrence representing Adamawa state was the second runner-up and will represent Nigeria in the Miss Tourism 2013 competition.

Prior to her emergence, Banner had also won the Best Traditional Costume.

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Other winners include Blessing Obi (Miss Kano) as Miss Photogenic; Aderonke Tiamiyu (Miss Ogun) as Miss Charismatic; and Fontanne Bassey (Miss Akwa Ibom) was voted Miss Amity by her co-contestants as the most gentle and social.

They all emerged after a keenly contested competition that saw the 32 finalists first reduced to Top 15 and later Top 5.

Others who made it to the Top 5 are 21-year old Melisa Devidal (Miss Abuja) who was the Fourth Runner-up and 24-year old Enoma Agbonifo (Miss Kaduna) the fifth runner-up.

Governor Dickson, in his remarks said the state considered it a unique privilege to have hosted such important event as the MBGN which have become an attractive brand, just a couple of months after hosting the prestigious Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA.

“For us, playing host to these two historic events within a space of just four months gives credence to the fact that Bayelsa is fast growing to become the next tourism hub of the country and beyond,” elated Dickson said.

Saddled with the task as judges for the MBGN 2013 were Captain Bunmi Williams, Head, Uyo International Airport, Akwa Ibom State; Mohammed Jammal, a recording artiste; Jason Newsome, Hollywood celebrity producer/artiste; Ebizi Brown, Director General, Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency; John Opara, General Manager, Lufthansa, Abuja; Ini Okorie, a businessman; Thandeka Sibisi, Executive Director, Two Glowing Sunset SA and Omotola Jalade- Ekeinde, top movie actress, who was also honoured with a special recognition award during the night.

In its 26th edition, MBGN 2013 was produced by Silverbird Productions in conjunction with the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency.

There were musical performances by Kcee, Timi Dakolo and Jaared, United States-based hip-hop artiste.

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