Around 100 women arrive in Nigeria today to take part in the Miss World pageant despite controversy over the death sentences hanging over two young mothers.
The organisers of the event are confident a threat by some contestants to boycott the event over Nigeria's use of Islamic Sharia law has evaporated.
Senior Nigerian officials have insisted that Ms Amina Lawal (31) will not be stoned to death, despite a sentence imposed earlier this year by a Sharia court in the mainly Muslim north of the country.
Ms Lawal and two former lovers - Ms Fatima Usman, who is due to give birth this weekend, and Mr Ahmadu Ibrahim - have been sentenced to death by stoning for having sex out of wedlock and are waiting for dates to be set for their appeals.
Miss World president Ms Julia Morley and most of the invited beauty queens have accepted the government's assurances and are determined to forge on with a month-long programme of events culminating in December 7th's closing ceremony.
Some beauty queens who announced boycott plans have changed their minds, and others have been replaced with more co-operative competitors, organisers said.
AFP