Ada Eme, 25, competes for the Miss World title in India, makes top 40 contestants list

Ada Eme, 25, is representing Nigeria at the 71st Miss World pageant and hopes to return home with the coveted crown after making it to the top 40 competitors.

The pageant’s grand finale is scheduled for this Saturday at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai, India.

Eme advanced to the top 40 finalists out of 117 contestants after delivering a superb speech during the competition’s head-to-head challenge, where she finished in the top five alongside Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lebanon, and England.

The head-to-head challenge was an essential aspect of the competition, as contenders took on a number of global tasks to demonstrate Miss World’s commitment to promoting beauty with purpose.

The task allows each contestant to properly explain her proposal, which might range from environmental conservation to healthcare initiatives, social justice efforts, and educational endeavors.

Ada Eme’s speech for the project was titled “Health For All”. She discussed ‘Schistosomiasis,’ a disease that is common in tropical locations around the world.

The speech not only secured her a berth as a finalist, but also a $5,000 cash prize from Julia Morley, Chairman and CEO of the Miss World Organization (MWO).

According to the Abiriba, a beauty queen from Abia State, she was inspired to start the project after learning that the students who benefited from her scholarship program were no longer in school due to the condition.

Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic parasitic disease caused by blood flukes found in riverine environments. Her project enabled children at the grassroots level to be immunized against the sickness and treated if they became afflicted. The beauty queen expressed hope of winning the coveted title.

“I’m hoping to return with the crown. Every woman in this pageant, including myself, shares the same ambitions. It’s been such a lovely challenge.

However, I will continue to put my best foot forward and hope for the best,” Eme stated in a WhatsApp message to Vanguard on Tuesday.

This year’s Miss World pageant began on February 18, with a three-week program of events held at several sites, including the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Nigeria, Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Kenya are among the African nations vying for the coveted title.

Others include Liberia, Lesotho, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Ada Eme flew for India in November to join contestants in preparation for the big finale, which takes place this Saturday, March 9, at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, India.