Professionals of Niger Delta
original in whatever field they belong have been challenged to be  good ambassadors of the area in showcasing their professions.
This they could do by not only promoting the rich cultural heritage of the people but also draw attention of the international community to the environmental degradation in which different communities of the region are passing through.
Bayelsa Deputy Governor, retired Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah, gave the advice while showering encomiums on the designer of an award winning dress, tagged, “Lady Esther” Patience Tolorwei at the just concluded Earth Matters fashion competition show held in Washington DC in the United States.
Retired Admiral Jonah, who was speaking during a send forth/ exhibition ceremony in Yenagoa, hailed the designer of the dress, who is an indigene of Bayelsa State for being in the vanguard for the preservation of the environment, which the design and colours of the dress depict.
The dress, “Lady Esther” is designed in colours and characters depicting the theme of the fashion competition, “Earth Matters.”
According to him, Tolorwei has made not only the state, but also the country proud, especially on issues concerning the environment, which he noted, ‘means a lot to the world’.
He described the inspiration behind the dress as quite apt as it captures the essence of the lifestyles of the people of the Niger Delta, who have suffered the effects of environmental pollution on a daily basis for several decades.
The Deputy Governor used the opportunity to encourage young people to develop their innate talents, stating that the government would support the designer in grooming budding talents to develop their potentials by providing a place for training.
In her remarks, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Yenagoa, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, disclosed that  Tolorwei was among 8 selected African designers, adding that, “Lady Esther”, having emerged winner of the fashion competition, has earned it the right to have a permanent home in the Smithsonian Museum of African Arts in Washington DC.
Earlier, the designer of “Lady Esther”, Patience Tolorwei explained that, she named the dress after her late mother and was easily inspired, because of her early life in the rural area in Bayelsa.