Former Miss Tourism 2014 and the CEO of Miss Tourism Nigerian Organisation, Collete Nwadike, in conjunction with Smile Train Organization, is championing the advocacy against stigmatization of people with cleft lip and cleft palate.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects where a baby’s upper lip or the roof of their mouth does not join completely during early pregnancy, leaving an opening or split.
Nwadike said, the society should not see their situation as irredeemable because it’s like other medical conditions that are curable.
Nwadike made this revelation
at the Cleft Awareness Walk, which brought together Miss Cosmo, Mr Cosmo Nigeria, Mr Universe Nigeria and contestants for the Miss Tourism and Mr Universe competition 2026 which was held on 5th September 2026.
Collete Nwadike, the National Director for Miss Cosmo Nigeria, Miss Tourism Africa- Nigeria, and International Tourism Queen, Nigeria, said during the World Cleft Awareness Day, she noticed that a lot of people are not aware of the condition and the help available to them . So, as part of her organization’s advocacy project, they decided to create awareness about this condition and intimate Nigerians that surgery is available for free, for people living with this condition.
Throwing more light on the cleft lip palate, Miss Ruth Efretuei, a medical doctor representing Akwa Ibom in Miss Cosmo Nigerian Pageant, 2026, disclosed that cleft lip palate is incomplete fusion of foetus structure during embryonic development, which could be caused by generic or environmental factors.
It could also be caused by maternal factors like smoking exposure, maternal nutritional deficiencies especially in folics, uncontrolled diabetes during pregnancy and so on. She said, it’s medical advised for pregnant mothers to be serious with their nutritional supplements, nutritionals like folics, folic acid, Vitamin B12 and others. It’s also important that the pregnant mothers should avoid smoking or taking alcohol and also try to control their diabetes.
Rebecca Oreluwa Ogunaike, a 500 level medical student and also contestant representing Oyo State, in Miss Cosmo 2026, said, 1 in 700. children are born with this cleft lip palate condition. So, it’s important to create awareness especially for rural dwellers that this is a health condition that is curable and should not be seen as a spiritual issue, so that the person would not end up being stigmatizes.
Ogunaike added that social media platforms are veritable avenues to create this awareness. And where need be, any child with this condition should be taken to the nearest health facility for proper care for correction, instead of being stigmatized so as to save the child’s future
Also adding his voice to the advocacy, Chris Chidubem, Mr Super National Nigeria 2026, said, health care provision is everybody’s business and should not be left in the hands of the government alone. He called for moral, emotional and financial support for, especially children with this condition.
The Cleft Awareness Walk Took off from Ever Care Hospital Oniru – Oniru Market in Victoria Island as the team shared pamphlets and leaflets, educating the people more about cleft lip palate
The Smile Train Africa, Cleft Walk Awareness, is in partnership with Ever Care Hospital Lekki. It’s endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, NTDA, NIHTOUR, The National Art Gallery and also the National Association of NIgerian Students, NANS
