The newly-crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2015, Beauty Pageant Miss Unoaku Anyadike, says she will devote her reign as a Beauty Queen to creating awareness of the dangers of endometriosis in females.
Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside it. The main symptoms are pelvic pain and infertility.
Nearly half of those affected have chronic pelvic pain, while in 70 per cent pain occurs during menstruation. Pain with sex is also common. Infertility occurs in up to half of women affected.
Anyadike came out tops among the 37 girls at the event organised by the Siverbird Group at the International Conference Centre, Calabar on Saturday night.
Miss Ebonyi, Debbie Collins, was the first runner-up and the Miss Charismatic,  Miss Abuja, Chizoba Ejike, was the secnd runner-up.Miss Bauchi, Chikaodili Nna-Udosen, was the third runner-up.
With her victory, Anyadike will represent Nigeria at the Miss World beauty pageant, while Collins will go for the Miss Universe beauty pageant.
Ejike will contest the Miss Tourism beauty pageant, while third runner-up, Nna-Udosen, will carry Nigeria’s flag at the Miss ECOWAS beauty pageant.
Anyadike, who is a final year student of psychology at the University of Ibadan, told newsmen that she used to have painful menstrual periods and initially thought she had endometriosis.
The Ekwuluobia, Anambra-born beauty queen, said the disease was diagnosed as the lining of the uterus attaching itself to other parts of the body and causing a girl’s monthly flow to be very painful.
“This platform has given me the opportunity to help create awareness about endometriosis in Nigeria. It’s a disease that so many people don’t know about which affects the female child, so, I intend to go round, starting with secondary schools, to create awareness about endometriosis.
“Endometriosis is a disease you can have for 10 years without even knowing that you have it; it causes a lot of pains and it is possible for the affected girl not to have children in the future. So, it’s a really serious thing that has little attention paid to, that is why I decided to focus on it.’’
Anyadike, whose father is a professor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, also told newsmen that she auditioned for the MBGN in 2014 but had to skip the contest when the dates changed and clashed with her examinations.
This year’s contest was the 28th edition of the MBGN and had the 37 girls in camp at the Tinapa Lakeside Hotel, Calabar, for two weeks.
Individual awards for the night included Miss Photogenic, won by Obianuju Ndubisi of Gombe State; Miss Amity, won by Ugochi Azuike of Yobe State; while Chidinma Ejiogu of Niger State had the “Best Traditional Attire’’.
Oluwadamilola Hassan of Borno won the “Top Model’’; while Miss Katsina, Chinenye Mojekwu wore the “Best Evening Wear’’.
Some of the dignitaries at the occasion included Prof. Ben Ayade, the Cross River governor, and his predecessor, Mr Liyel Imoke, as well as former senator, Florence Ita-Giwa and Senator Ben Murray-Bruce.