How Anna Banner won the MBGN 2013

YENAGOA—Miss Bayelsa State, Anna Ebierie Banner, weekend, emerged the winner of 2013 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant with Imo State representative, Okwu Stephanie as 1st runner up.
Banner, 18, also won the best traditional costume award, beating other 31 contestants to clinch the crown at a ceremony held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
Meanwhile, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has appointed  Anna  Banner as his Special Assistant on Culture and Tourism.

Anna  Banner is meanwhile to represent Nigeria at the Miss World pageant later this year in Jakarta, Indonesia.
She has now taken over the reigns as the Most Beautiful girl in Nigeria 2012 winner, Isabele Ayuk.
The Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, at the event, also announced the new queen as the Ambassador of Culture and Tourism in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, contestants who made it to the Top 5 were Miss Imo, Miss Abuja, Miss Kaduna and Miss Adamawa.

In his speech, Governor  Dickson called on investors to avail themselves of the numerous tourism potentials and investment opportunities in the state. “As a state, we consider it a unique privilege to have an array of important personalities and elegant young ladies in our midst today, just a couple of months after we hosted the prestigious Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA.
“For us, playing host to these 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. It also speaks volume of the restoration of government unwavering commitment to the promotion of gender equality as illustrated in the national gender policy of our great country.”
Chairman of Silverbird Group, organisers of the pageant,  Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce said the essence of the competition was to bring about unity among ladies with different cultural and social backgrounds. According to him “all 32 delegates worked tirelessly with one common goal, although we can only have one winner, I see everybody who has come this far as an individual who possess great value and have exhibited a great level of competence.

“In over 25 years, we have produced beautiful ambassadors who have represented Nigeria at various international events.”

7/22/2013