Miss Nigeria

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Miss Nigeria is an annual pageant showcasing positive attributes of Nigerian women and awarding university scholarships.^{[citation needed]} The winner portrays exemplary qualities and serves as a role model for young women in the country. The pageant is currently organised by Daily Times.^[1]

The current titleholder is Law graduate Etsanyi Tukura who represented Taraba, and her platform is Empowerment of the Girl Child.^[2]

History

National newspaper Daily Times established the Miss Nigeria franchise which originally started as a photo contest in 1957.^[3] Contestants sent photographs to the publication's Lagos office where finalists were shortlisted; those successful were invited to compete in the live final which at the time did not include a swimsuit competition at the Lagos Island Club. UAC employee Grace Oyelude won the maiden edition of Miss Nigeria, and would later use part of her £200 prize money to travel to England where she studied Nursing.^[4]

Contrary to popular belief, Julie Coker was not the first Miss Nigeria – she had actually won Miss Western Nigeria. However, she did compete in the contest the year after Oyelude's reign, but lost to secretarial student Helen Anyamaeluna.^[5] Former seamstress Nene Etule remains the only non-Nigerian to have won the contest; she was eligible as the Southern Cameroons were under Nigerian constitution in 1959.^[6] The following year the contest was briefly renamed 'Miss Independence' to commemorate the country's independence from British rule, and WNTV continuity announcer Rosemary Anieze was crowned in a ceremony which included Coker as one of the judges.^[7]

The sixties saw Miss Nigeria competing at international level. Yemi Idowu, who won in 1962, reached the semi-finals at Miss United Nations 1963, the same year a swimsuit round was introduced into Miss Nigeria.^[8] Idowu's successor, salesgirl Edna Park, became the first Nigerian at Miss Universe in 1964, but is best remembered for disrupting the evening when she collapsed on stage after failing to reach the top fifteen. She was carried away by policemen and contest officials,^[9] and spent the night in a Miami hospital under sedation where she was consoled by Nneka Onyegbula, wife of the Nigerian ambassador, who reportedly stated "All the judges are White and they aren't really competent to judge dark girls' beauty". Since Park, no other Miss Nigeria has competed at Miss Universe.^[10] Rosaline Balogun became the first official Miss Nigeria at Miss World in 1967.^{[clarification needed]} Although no pageant was held in 1969, London-based secretary Morenike Faribido (née Coker) was handpicked to use the "Miss Nigeria" title and represent the country at Miss World.^[11]

After the new millennium, Miss Nigeria became a shadow of its former self, and the contest was placed on hold in 2004. With the gradual demise of Daily Times and rivalry with Sliverbird's Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Daily Times lost their license to send delegates to Miss World and Miss Universe,^[12] and no winner was crowned after Clara Ojo's victory from 1994 to 1998 due to the organiser's incapability to convene a pageant during this time. To date, Ojo remains the longest-serving Miss Nigeria; although no contest was held from 2004 to 2010, Ene Lawani had already ceased ceremonial duties long before the franchise was purchased from the Daily Times.

In 2010, after a six-year attempt, AOE Events and Entertainment, headed by former MBGN Nike Oshinowo were brought into the Miss Nigeria franchise by Daily Times.^[13][14] For the first time in its history, entry was open to women in the diaspora,^[15] and inspired by Miss America, Oshinowo relaunched Miss Nigeria as a scholarship programme which offered free tuition to the winner and second and third-place winners, with the Miss Nigeria titleholder receiving a scholarship to study at any University of her choice worldwide.^[16] The new Miss Nigeria now included a reality show The Making of a Queen which saw contestants compete in various tasks synonymous with Nigerian women including cooking on outdoor firewood stoves, hostessing, and haggling with market traders, with a number of contestants facing eviction each week.^[17] Evening gowns were made from traditional African fabrics and, most notably, the swimsuit competition was discontinued.^[18] The pageant ran for two years before the organization of the pageant was taken over by Beth Model Management CEO and former Miss Nigeria UK Elizabeth Aisien in 2012.^[19]

In 2016 Miss Nigeria established the Green Girl Project, a community development initiative aimed at empowering young women to become facilitators of sustainable practices towards ensuring a clean and peaceful environment. It also aims to give young women a platform to become agents of change for the environment.^[20]

Competition

Contestants are required to be unmarried, childless, and not pregnant, with a good command of English, and of Nigerian citizenship. They should be between the ages of 18 and 25 years old, of good health, and of good character with no tattoos or piercings apart from ears.

The competition starts with a call to entry where interested participants acquire registration forms before screening exercises commence. Judges select a number of contestants for orientation camp lasting a total of 2–3 weeks where contestants are given tasks to test their skills in different areas. They are also given training in various activities to empower them, develop their entrepreneurship skills, and expose them to different industries enabling them to understand and begin to learn the role of an ambassador. Originally, contestants were given numbers during live shows, but this was changed in 2010 when they each represented Nigerian states. For the 2013 edition, they represented their respective individuality – each contestant had their name printed on their sash, and only twenty-one of the thirty-six semi-finalists competed in the final.^[21] In 2015, the contestants once again represented states.

Prizes for the winner vary each year; as of 2013 this includes ₦3,000,000, a luxury car, the Miss Nigeria diamond-encrusted crown, an apartment for the duration of the winner's reign, and a modeling contract with Beth Model Management. The full scholarship now extends to higher institutions in the country only.^[22] Throughout the year, the winner is sponsored by several prestigious organisations, and may land endorsement deals.^[23]

Criticism

Critics described the original pageant as a parade of beauty with no brains. Former pageant manager Yomi Onanuga told an interviewer in 2006: "We are tired of seeing girls on stage after two weeks in camp, and having much fun, all we see is that they ask them [questions] and they win. Two months after, somebody asks her the same question, she cannot answer, and people begin to ask, Where did she get her crown from?".^[24] English Literature student Ibinabo Fiberesima was unable to name the vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan which she attended.^[25] Fiberesima has claimed in numerous interviews and on her former website that she had competed in 1997,^[26][27][28] but this statement is questionable as no contest was held from 1994 to 1998; she had actually been a contestant in 1991, finishing second behind Bibiana Ohio.

In 1988, dark-skinned trainee caterer Stella Okoye crowned her successor Wunmi Adebowale who was also dark,^[29] thus breaking a long line of light-skinned winners, yet Okoye's reign had not been without controversy. Fellow contestant Omasan Buwa told The Punch in 2011 "In the hall that day, there was a big uproar and they had to take her out with police escort[s]. The audience felt she was very dark."^[30]

The mediocre prizes, along with the lack of endorsements and connections were a cause for concern before the new millennium. Miss Nigeria 1963 Alice Ad'epe told the Idoma Voice "After my reign, that was end of the story. There was no follow up, nobody cared to know how I was faring. Things were no longer rosy. I was abandoned, so I decided to return home."^[31] 1993's winner Janet Fateye stated "People thought I was raking in all the money there was, but that wasn't the case. The prize money at the time was a mere N12,000, given to me at N1,000 a month. Yes, I got the car prize that was being serviced by Daily Times, but then I had to buy petrol!"^[32] Millennium queen Vien Tetsola reportedly resided in accommodation hardly matching her status as reigning Miss Nigeria.^[33]

Scandals

Single mother Toyin Monney, who had also withheld information regarding her real age, was banned from competing at Miss World 1977, leaving no time to process a visa for Miss Nigeria's second-place winner. Miss Nigeria 1981 Tokunboh 'Kemi' Onanuga had forged the WAEC certificate she used to gain admission into the University of Lagos, ^[34] and was expelled by the institution. In 2011, WAEC confirmed on their Twitter account Onanuga had committed exam fraud.^[35]

Binta Sukai's eligibility to compete in 1990 was questioned when she was rumoured to be non-Nigerian. It was later confirmed the aspiring fashion designer was only one-quarters Scottish.

In 2001, City People revealed the reigning Miss Nigeria, thirty-year-old Valerie Peterside, had lied about her actual age (She had told organisers she was twenty-five) and forged her university qualifications (She was reportedly expelled from Ahmadu Bello University before graduation due to examination malpractice).^[36] Following an investigation by several prominent Nigerians including former Daily Times editor Tony Momoh and former Miss Nigeria contestant Julie Coker, a decision was made to dethrone her. Peterside, who had competed the previous year (Again as a 25-year-old), fought to keep the crown, but was forced to resign, allowing first runner-up Applied Chemistry student Amina Ekpo to take over.^[37][38]

Despite her popularity as Miss Nigeria 2002, International relations graduate Sylvia Edem attracted further media attention when it was rumoured she had forged her date of birth to compete, like Peterside before her. It was believed that Edem was thirty years old, until an investigation confirmed she was indeed twenty-three.^[39]

Titleholders

Miss Nigeria 2019 Beauty Tukura competing as Miss Taraba

• Denotes Region/state of origin during time of coronation

Notable contestants

• Mbong Amata (2004) - Actress
• Isabella Ayuk (2004) – MBGN 2011
• Omasan Buwa (1987) – MBGN 1987
• Queen Celestine (2013) - MBGN Universe 2014
• Cynthia Chisom (2004) – Model, lawyer, and Miss Commonwealth Nigeria 2010^[55]
• Julie Coker (1958) – Newsreader and TV presenter^[56]
• Ufuoma Ejenobor (2004) – Actress
• Maryam Elisha (2003) – Fashion designer
• Joan Elumelu (1981) – Founder, Nigeria's Next Supermodel ^[57]
• Linda Ikeji (2003)- Model and blogger
• Sylvia Nduka (2010) – MBGN 2011^[58][59]
• Chikaodili Nna-Udosen (2019) – TNQ 2020
• Nowe Isibor (2011) – Creative Director/Founder Mosé – The Mosé Store
• Patricia Onumonu- Fashion Designer and Founder Trish O Couture^[60]

Notes:

• † Now deceased

Unofficial title holders

• Former Miss Western Nigeria Julie Coker is often described as the first Miss Nigeria winner, but she had actually won Miss Western Nigeria.^[61]
• In 1963, although Miss Nigeria had already crowned the first ever Idoma winner Alice Ad'epe, a sub-pageant Miss Nigeria World was organised with 16-year-old Martha Bassey emerging as winner despite reservations from the judges who described the contestants as "too ugly", but Miss World organisers disqualified her on age grounds. Eric Morley confirmed no suitable Nigerian representative had been selected, but Miss World Nigeria's first runner-up, Gina Onyejiaka, became the first ever Nigerian Miss World representative after flying to London at her own expense (Miss World organisers had refused to pay for her flight to avoid accusations of favouritism). Although Miss World accepted her as a contestant, the Nigerian High Commission refused to acknowledge Onyejiaka.^[62]
• In 1966, after Miss Nigeria failed to send a representative to Miss World (No contest was held in Lagos that year), London-resident Uzor Okafor was disqualified after the deputy Nigerian High Commissioner, Latif Dosumu, refused to sign her registration form as required by the Miss World Organisation, claiming the High Commission did not endorse pageants and were therefore unable to lend official support. ^[63] Okafor had described her participation as a gesture of goodwill, and argued the High Commission had assured her she could register as an official candidate, but Dosumu denied the claim. Okafor, who had given birth to one of her two daughters seven months prior (Married women were allowed to compete in Miss World before 1970), was ordered to leave the competition immediately. Okafor later stated she regretted her involvement in the pageant, and had been urged to compete by her British husband Bruce Newman.^[64]
• No competition was held in 1969 due to the Nigerian Civil War, but Morenike Faridibo was selected as an unofficial Miss Nigeria in a ceremony held in London.
• Shortly after Agbani Darego's victory at Miss World, Miss Nigeria 2001 Amina Ekpo took legal action against her MBGN counterpart who was accused of misrepresentation, stating that Darego had fraudulently presented herself as Miss Nigeria at the international pageant and had not been authorised to use the title (At international level, MBGN representatives were automatically known as "Miss Nigeria"). Former Daily Times managing director Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo, who had famously described MBGN winners as "lowly-rated queens" supported the $10,000,000 lawsuit, claiming "We will do everything possible to make sure we prevent people from tampering with a patented pageant like Miss Nigeria, [and] will not allow anybody to misrepresent us."^[65]
• The Guardian came under fire for misrepresenting the Miss Nigeria brand in 2011 when Theatre Arts student and former MBGN runner-up Sandra Otohwo was described as Miss Nigeria 2009 by their sister publication Allure. Otohwo, who had represented Nigeria at Miss Universe 2009, posed for photographs in a bikini, enraging the Miss Nigeria organisers who had promoted their swimsuit-free pageant as a wholesome institution, and pointed out that the competition was dormant from 2004 to 2010, therefore making it impossible for the organisers to have crowned a Queen in 2009. The Guardian later apologised and printed the organisers' letter in a subsequent issue.^[66]

Difference between Miss Nigeria and MBGN

The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) pageant is organised by the Silverbird Group while Miss Nigeria is currently handled by Daily Times (Folio). The Miss Nigeria swimsuit competition was scrapped in 2011, but this feature remains popular at MBGN.^[67] Another notable distinction is only MBGN contestants automatically become representatives at international pageants.^[68]

References

External links

• Official website