LAGOS, Sept 14 (The African Portal) – Nigeria’s pageant industry has long celebrated conventional ideals of beauty. But at the Albinism Advocacy Pageant in Lagos, the message is diversity and the goal is to break the stigma surrounding albinism.
Albinism is a genetic condition that affects the skin, hair, and eyes and is highly misunderstood across Nigeria. Cultural myths and superstitions fuel prejudice, leaving some people excluded from schools, jobs, and social gatherings—and even subjected to violence.
The pageant’s newly crowned queen, Anita Chidiebube-Dike, says she will use her role to push for greater public understanding of albinism.
“My first priority is to create engaging content that will bring out the strength and show the positive impact of persons with albinism in our society.”
Advocacy for albinism is long overdue, says Tolani Ojuri, Chairperson of the Albinism Association of Nigeria:
“Persons with albinism have various challenges. I mean, from the sun to the low vision, and lots of persons with albinism don’t even know how to go about this. And even to the general society, the myth, the bullying, the stereotyping, and all that.”
Pageant organisers say they hope events like Saturday’s contest can help change the conversation.
“When people think of pageantry, they think of people who look a certain way,” says organiser Mistura Abisola Owolabi. “But for us, we are flipping the script and using pageantry to showcase the talent of people with albinism and also advocate for them.”
The World Health Organization estimates that the prevalence of albinism in sub-Saharan Africa ranges from one in 5,000 to one in 15,000 people. In Nigeria, about two million people are estimated to have albinism. The government has vowed to combat the discrimination they face, but progress has been slow.
The crowning of an albinism advocacy queen may just signal a shift toward broader representation.
Credit: Africanews
