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The Glow Up Season: Woman King, Crowned Queen of Miss Malaika Ghana 2024
The Miss Malaika Ghana 2024 pageant came to a spectacular end on Saturday, November 16 at the Palms Convention Centre in Accra.
After weeks of competition, 25-year-old Lucille Naakwaley King was crowned the winner in a dazzling finale that showcased beauty, talent, and female empowerment.
The glittering finale kicked off with co-host Bliss King introducing the top 10 contestants who came out in a spectacular display of cars by The Dream Collection, who ushered the ladies to the event in luxury cars, received on the red carpet amidst funfair and ultimately a grand entry unto the stage.
The ladies had a chance to showcase their poise and personality in a one-on-one conversation with the host, Regina Van-Helvert.
Based on votes accumulated leading up to the event, the field was then narrowed to the top 5 finalists: Marie. Delphine, Lucille, Cherise and Whitney.
In one of the most impactful segments of the night, the top 5 finalists delivered individual speeches on who their role model is, by highlighting their key achievements and how their journey inspires them on their path to becoming the women they aspire to be.
This portion gave insight into the contestants’ values, passions, and visions for creating positive change.
Lucille King chose Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao as her role model – an activist, diplomat, entrepreneur and founder of medical clinics.
In her impassioned speech, Lucille praised Dr. Chihombori-Quao’s many accomplishments, saying: “I want to say a big thank you, Dr Chihombori-Quoa. Thank you for proving that a woman can be many things at once. And for not only empowering me by what you say, but by what you do and who you are as a strong, female Pan-African advocate.”
This choice of role model highlighted Lucille’s own ambitions to be a multi-faceted leader and champion for women’s empowerment across Africa.
The Judging Panel
Selecting a winner from such an accomplished group of finalists was no easy task. The Miss Malaika Ghana 2024 judging panel consisted of respected figures from entertainment, business, and pageantry: Ama O. Sarpong – Miss Malaika 2010 winner, now an oil and gas professional, Trudy Arnold – Miss Malaika 2009 runner-up, now CEO of Studio 7, Chris Attoh – Actor, television presenter, producer and film director and Kojo Soboh – CEO and founder of EMY Africa and Carbon AV.
This diverse panel brought expertise from various fields to evaluate the contestants on beauty, intelligence, talent, and potential for impact.
Crowning the Queen
The final segment of the night was what many termed ‘the make or break’ point for the top 5 delegates. Where they were put on the spot and asked questions by the judges pertaining to their individual speeches.
A few minutes after the final delegate said ‘thank you for the question’ and proceeded with her response, the judges made the final and ultimate decision which answered the lingering question of ‘Who wins what’?
20-year-old Cherise Nana Ama was announced second runner up and 24-year-old Fiakegbe Marie Juniore was called as the first runner up.
Then came the big moment – Lucille Naakwaley King was crowned Miss Malaika Ghana 2024! As the audience erupted in cheers, Lucille gracefully accepted the crown and began her reign as the newest ambassador for the Miss Malaika Ghana brand.
The evening also featured a talent competition among three finalists selected during pre-judging: Lucille, Nakiya, and Marie.
This segment allowed the ladies to showcase skills beyond beauty and public speaking. Lucille wowed the crowd with an energetic salsa dance routine.
Her precise footwork, fluid hand movements, and magnetic stage presence earned her the title of Miss Talent, as determined by the judges. This additional award highlighted Lucille’s well-rounded abilities and star power.
Between competition segments, the audience was treated to spectacular musical performances from some of Ghana’s top artists: Camidoh, Olivetheboy, LalixLola and an incredible dance performance by Dancegodloyd and his crew.
These entertaining acts kept the energy high throughout the night and showcased Ghana’s vibrant music scene alongside its beautiful and talented women.
In a post-win interview, Lucille reflected on what being crowned Miss Malaika Ghana 2024 means to her.
‘’Winning the crown means more to me than many may think. It means that I can more rigorously fulfil my purpose in life- helping people. I have always wanted to make changes, and improve people’s lives, but until now, it has felt like an improbability task. I am so grateful for the platform to help others, and I am looking forward to doing so via my first project which is aimed at children with Autism and Down syndrome,” she said.
according to her, “These children are isolated, misunderstood, neglected, and sometimes even ridiculed. I want to help change this. I want people to realize how worthy of love, or at the very least, respect and dignity children with these conditions are. I want to share their stories, to humanize them and show the country that they are different, yes, but still worthy and valuable.
’’
Miss Malaika Ghana is one of the country’s most prestigious beauty pageants, organized annually by Charterhouse Productions. More than just a beauty contest, Miss Malaika Ghana aims to discover, nurture and promote talented young Ghanaian women.
The competition emphasizes: Intelligence and eloquence, leadership potential, commitment to community service, celebration of African beauty and culture amongst others.
Participants of Miss Malaika Ghana often go on to successful careers in business, media, and public service.
The pageant provides a launching pad for young women to make their mark on Ghana and beyond.
The 2024 edition of Miss Malaika Ghana was proudly brought to you by Club Shandy, JAC by Tryton Motors, Brussels Airlines, Big Blue Resort, The Pinnacle Apartments, Your Cruise People, airing on Joy Prime TV, GHOne TV, DGN TV, MX24 TV, LifeStyle TV, and powered by Charterhouse
The National Media Commission has appointed Dr Isaac Okpoti Nai as the new Managing Director of New Times Corporation, publishers of Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers.
In an engagement with staff of the Corporation today, June 5, 2026, Dr.Nai, expressed his appreciation to everyone for holding the forth and contributing to the growth of the company.
He said, his leadership philosophy is based on professionalism, integrity and team work.
The new Managing Director said, he will be on a journey which would require everyone to take ‘ownership’.
” You need to work as though the company belongs to you. You are not doing it for me, take ownership, let’s work as a team,” he stressed.
With this, he said “we will be able to grow and sustain NTC. Let’s respect deadline and time.”
Dr.Nai pleaded with the staff to play their roles effectively to add value to NTC.
The Board led by Prof Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo expressed his excitement and wished the new MD and staff well in the years ahead.
The Chairperson of the Interim Management Committee, Dr.Charity Binka urged the staff to give the new MD their utmost support to help him succeed.
The appointment dated June 5, 2026, was done by the National Media Commission (NMC) In consultation with His Excellency the President of Ghana.
The appointment is in accordance with Article 168 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and section 2(1)(e) of the National Media Commission Act, 1994 (Act 449).
Dr. Isaac Okpoti Nai is a management executive, academic, and corporate leader with over 25 years of professional experience spanning financial management, corporate governance, strategic planning, internal audit, risk management, and organisational development across Ghana and the United Kingdom,.
Before this appointment, Dr. Nai served as General Manager, Finance and Administration at the State Housing Company Limited.
Dr.Nai has held senior leadership positions with the Ghana Integrity Initiative (Transparency International Ghana), Central Region Development Commission, London Borough of Croydon, London Borough of Merton and Ananemantey & Co. His experience covers both public and private sector institutions, including donor-funded organizations, local government authorities, financial institutions, and higher education establishments.
As an academic, he has lectured in Accounting, Finance, Taxation, and Management, contributing to the development of future business leaders and professionals.
Dr. Nai holds a Doctor of Business Administration (Financial Management) from Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom, an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management from the University of Greenwich, and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Accounting from Oxford Brookes University. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICA).
Throughout his career, Dr. Nai has been recognised for strengthening financial controls, improving organisational performance, leading transformational initiatives, and providing strategic leadership that delivers sustainable growth and value creation.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
MomsConnectGH marks Mental Health Awareness Day and Mother’s Day with donation to Accra Psychiatric Hospital
As part of activities to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Day and Mother’s Day, MomsConnectGH last Saturday organised a donation drive to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital under its outreach initiative, The Hannah Project.
The initiative formed part of the organisation’s broader commitment to supporting vulnerable groups in society while creating awareness around mental health challenges, particularly those affecting women and mothers.
The donation included essential supplies and welfare items for patients at the hospital.
Speaking during the donation, Co-Partner of MomsConnectGH, Elizabeth Owusu-Boadi, said the initiative was inspired by the need to show compassion and support to people facing mental health challenges, especially women and mothers.
She noted that many women continue to struggle silently with mental health conditions such as postpartum depression.
“Postpartum depression is one of the mental health issues many women go through, yet it is not spoken about enough. Many mothers suffer in silence because of stigma, lack of awareness, and limited support systems,” she said.
Mrs Owusu-Boadi explained that the decision to visit the Accra Psychiatric Hospital was intentional and aimed at reminding patients that they are loved, valued, and not forgotten.
“We wanted to come here not just with donations, but with kindness, hope, and support for the patients and staff here,” she added.
She also called on the government, civil society organisations, and private institutions to increase support for psychiatric healthcare facilities across the country.
“Mental healthcare is just as important as physical healthcare. We all have a role to play in supporting mental health institutions and creating more awareness around these issues,” she stated.
Head of Public Relations at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Peggy Asiedu Ekremet, thanked MomsConnectGH for the gesture and encouraged the public to pay more attention to mental health.
“Mental health issues can affect anyone. Seeking help is a sign of strength and not weakness. We encourage people to speak up and seek professional support when they need it,” she said.
MomsConnectGH said The Hannah Project forms part of its broader mission to build a supportive community for mothers while impacting lives positively through outreach and wellness initiatives.
The group also expressed appreciation to all individuals, partners, and organisations who contributed to the success of the donation exercise.
