The reigning Miss Universe and Miss Angola, Leila Lopes will arrive in Ghana from June 9-12, 2012.

Her visit is part of a five-nation West African tour with stops in Senegal, La Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Nigeria.

The Insignia Group, producers of the Miss Universe Ghana competition in partnership with Roberta Annan Consulting, said they were delighted to announce the first ever visit to Ghana of a reigning Miss Universe.

This is the first time in 12 years that an African woman has held the title of Miss Universe and the last titleholder was Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Botswana 1999, who became Miss Universe 1999.

Miss Kwelagobe was the first person to represent Botswana at the Miss Universe pageant, and made history by becoming the first black African woman to win an international pageant.

Miss Universe, as part of her tour of West Africa, will visit the SOS Children’s Villages, in Tema and Asiakwa, making a donation to them and also pay a courtesy call on the Vice President.

She would later launch the 2012 Miss Universe Ghana pageant at an exclusive cocktail reception in Accra, hosted by Miss Yayra Nego, Ghana’s Miss Universe of 2011.**