By Landing Ceesay
Glorious Haddijatou Njie, the reigning Miss Gambia, achieved a remarkable feat by securing a spot in the top six at the prestigious Miss Tourism Africa Competition held in Lagos, Nigeria.
Distinguished by her remarkable talent and accomplishments as a beauty queen, Ms. Njie has consistently displayed a profound dedication to showcasing and promoting the rich heritage, culture, and tourism of The Gambia.
Setting out for Lagos, Nigeria, on September 22, 2023, Ms. Njie proudly represented her homeland in the Miss Tourism Africa Competition, which took place on October 2, 2023. In her role as The Gambia’s official ambassador at the event, she competed against contestants from various African nations and distinguished herself by securing a place among the top six finalists.
Upon her return to The Gambia, Ms. Njie expressed heartfelt gratitude and extended her sincere appreciation to the people of The Gambia for their unwavering support throughout her remarkable journey in the competition.
“I felt honored and blessed to have been able to represent the country. It is something I have always wanted and have worked towards achieving. Gambia has a lot to offer, and a lot is yet to be discovered. The theme was “See Africa First” meaning Africa, including the Gambia, has been underrated when it comes to tourism sites and culture. While everything started in Africa,” Miss Gambia stated.
The beauty queen holds a strong belief in The Gambia’s wealth of unique cultures, tourism attractions, and places deserving of global recognition.
The Miss Tourism Africa competition provided contestants from diverse nations with the platform to showcase and narrate the cultural and tourism treasures of their respective countries during the event.
“I believe my participation brought some light to where Gambia is located, how hospitable we are, and the tourism sites we have, including our beautiful unique cultures,” Ms. Gambia revealed.
The 2023 Miss Tourism Africa competition in Lagos, Nigeria, brought together 10 contestants from 10 countries. Four contestants were eliminated in the first and second rounds, leaving six to compete in the final round, including Ms. Glorious Haddijatou Njie.
Ms. Njie said that coming from a small country doesn’t mean Gambians are not strong or powerful.
“I see Gambia, my homeland, as a great nation, having that mindset pushes me into representing well and making sure everybody leaves remembering a country called Gambia has been represented. In that regard, I feel happy, but it is a stepping stone for greater achievements,” she said.
In her role as the reigning Miss Gambia 2023, Ms. Glorious Haddijatou Njie is in active preparation to serve as The Gambia’s ambassador once more, this time at an upcoming beauty pageant scheduled for the following month. Just as she did in Nigeria, Ms. Njie is poised to proudly represent her nation and wave the Gambian flag high.