Mary Nnah
Kelvin Chinedu Ezike, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zikel Cosmetics International, a leading cosmetic brand in Nigeria, is set to redefine pageantry in Nigeria with the just concluded Face of Zikel Pageant held recently in Lagos.
The contest, which had Sharon Takim emerge winner and cart away N1million, a trip to Dubai and a year supply of Zikel cosmetics, Ezike said, will redefine pageantry in Nigeria, as it has afforded opportunities to aspiring model to achieve their dream, adding that the contest was not a winner take it all event.
The event which was tagged, ”Empowered to Lead”, was held in Lagos unhindered despite the hitches caused by COVID-19 and it was a huge success.
Ezike explained further that girls and women face a myriad of disadvantages due to their gender which ultimately hinders their progress and upward mobility into leadership positions, adding, “there are a number of reasons why this is so”.
He said therefore that he had decided to change the narrative by engaging young girls to be self-reliant and erase the negative perception about pageantry.
Enumerating what makes one a beauty queen, he said qualities required for beauty queens as Face of Zikel include a woman who is beautiful, intelligent, confident and has charisma.
“There are many benefits for the face of Zikel brand as our intention is to build a career for the ladies who have ventured into beauty show business. This is an opportunity for those who want to come into the beauty industry.
“Face of Zikel primarily celebrates women of any colour, shape and marital status. We employ a lot of women and keep them in the workforce.
“It was my efforts to solve the challenge that gave birth to the Zikel brand of cosmetics. Zikel Cosmetics is less than three years old but has made a name for itself in the beauty industry.
“It is a brand with luxurious products, with the array of quality beauty products at an affordable price; the product is one of the top choices in the make-up sector.”
He stated that the brand started with just one product and later moved to five brands but “today there are 72 products that take care of the woman’s beauty, as every shade and product shares a message. So, it is not just the winner and face of Zikel but empowerment”.
Twelve queens were crowned into different portfolios as face of Zikel Tourism, Universe among others while 12 of them also serve as the brand ambassadors for the firm in the year 2021.
He lauded the previous face of Zikel, Queen Nikky, who had done well during her reign as she had represented the company at various capacities in the last one year.
Ezike noted further that basically the event was to unlock the female potential and reward excellence, adding, “we went around the country for the audition in order to pick a winner. The platform was simply to promote women empowerment and value the girl- child as a veritable tool for national development”.
Ezikel said the camp was extended from three days to 10 days, since it was not just to crown the winner but bridge the gap in leadership between the genders.
