Gendered Nationalism and Global Citizenship in Nigerian Beauty Pageants

This paper focuses on the Nigerian beauty pageant industry and its links to the development of Nigerian gendered nationalism. It focuses on the “beauty diplomacy” narrative used by Nigerian beauty queens to present themselves as worthy cultural citizens. This narrative connects them to other ordinary Nigerians and promotes their own voices and that of the public in the national arena. Beauty contestants insisted that they could use the attention garnered through pageants as a tool to amplify their voices, make a difference in the country, and reach for their goals. Throughout the course of the competition and during their subsequent reign, a beauty contestant’s sexuality is judiciously protected and projected as "pure." This ‘purity’ is linked to their ability to be recognized as suitable role models in Nigeria whose charity, development, and goodwill is appreciated.  Through their celebrity status they craft special platforms to address issues of national concern and do social work during their reign. These women are not only the face of Nigeria, but also groom themselves as “citizens of the world” through their travel and participation in major international contests. I focus on the complex process these contestants must navigate in representing and propelling their country’s progress to a global society. Contestants stressed their own symbolic role in which showcasing their own positive attributes served a larger function of highlighting the good elements of Nigerian society both domestically and to the broader global community.