Miss Nigeria

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Not to be confused with Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria

Organised by the Daily Times of Nigeria PLC, Miss Nigeria was once the most prestigious beauty contest in the country, used to showcase all positive attributes of the Nigerian woman - elegance, poise, talent, intelligence and culture as well as beauty. Before 1986, its winners represented Nigeria at international pageants. Nowadays, that role is left to the winners of rival contest Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, while Miss Nigeria performs ceremonial duties in the country, although she may occassionally go abroad for other functions.

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[edit] Competition

Miss Nigeria is usually divided into different segments, including Traditional Costume, Swimsuit, Talent, Interview, and Evening Gown. Contestants compete in zonal contests in different parts of the country, where they are given numbers (unlike Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, they do not represent states). The winner and the first and second runners-up are then selected to take part in the grand finale in Lagos later in the year. Throughout the year, the winner is sponsored by several prestigious organisations, and may earn some endorsement deals.

There are several version of Miss Nigeria in different parts of the world, held for Nigerians living in these parts. These include Miss Nigeria UK, Miss Nigeria USA and Miss Nigeria Holland. However, the Daily Times do not have a hand in organising these pageants.

[edit] Criticism

Over the years, the pageant has received a lot of citicism from the Nigerian public; the swimsuit parade has been regarded as a 'form of nudity'. Although Miss Nigeria has been praised for judging contestants according to Nigerian standards of beauty - former MBGN's Agbani Darego and Chinenye Ochuba were slated by the Nigerian press for being 'too skinny' - others argue that pageant shows are more Western than African, and do not fully represent Nigerian culture.

The Nigerian public have described the pageant as a parade of 'beauty with no brains'. In 1991, an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan, Ibinabo Fiberesima, lost out to Bibiana Ohio after she was unable to name the vice-chancellor of the institution she attended. In 2002, almost all the contestant answered their questions incorrectly during the interview stage. Very few participants who compete each year give an outstanding performance in the Talent Stage.

Until the mid-eighties, most of the winners were light-skinned, and this heightened the 'Black is Beautiful' outcry. However, in 1987, catering student Stella Okoye, was crowned Miss Nigeria, thus breaking a long line of light-skinned winners. Other dark-skinned winners include Vien Tetsola (1999), Wunmi Adebowale (1988), Clara Ojo (1994) and Regina Nwabunar (1998).

Miss Nigeria has also been criticised for not being as glamorous or 'serious' as Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. Since 1986, none of its winners have taken part in Miss World. The oraganisers often fail to hold the contest every year due to a number of reasons, mostly financial.

[edit] Trivia

  • The very first woman to bear the title "Miss Nigeria", Julie Coker, did not actually participate in Miss Nigeria - it had not started then. She had been crowned Miss Western Nigeria (a.k.a Miss West). Coker was chosen to take part in Miss World in 1957, and from then on was known as Miss Nigeria.
  • The very first Miss Nigeria to take part in Miss Universe was Enda Park in 1964.
  • In 1977, it was discovered that Toyin Monney had not only lied about her age, but also about her secret child. Although she was not dethroned, it led to her downfall as Miss Nigeria.
  • In 1990, Binta Sukai became the first Miss Nigeria from a northern state. She attracted a lot of criticism from the public after it was rumoured that she was not really Nigerian. Later it was revealed that she was one-quater Scottish.
  • Miss Nigeria 1994 Clara Ojo held the title for four years. No contest was held until 1998.
  • In 2001, first runner-up Amina Ekpo from Akwa Ibom was crowned Miss Nigeria after the reigning queen, former Miss Abuja and one-time Nollywood actress Valerie Ama Peterside was stripped of her title for lying about her age and forging her qualifications. Peterside fought to keep the crown, but was eventually dethroned. Following the success of Agbani Darego in Miss World that same year, Daily Times sued Silverbird Entertaiment, claiming that only Miss Nigeria had the right to represent the country at international level and use the name (at international pageant shows, the reigning Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria bears the title Miss Nigeria).
  • Another contestant from Akwa Ibom, Sylvia Edem was crowned Miss Nigeria 2002. Several press reports jokingly described her as 'a one-eyed king in the land of the blind' - she was one of very few contestants who displayed a fair amount of intelligence; most of the others participants failed to answer their questions correctly during the interview stage.
  • Bikinis are banned from the live pageant shows. This is said to "restore the pageant's dignity".
  • Janet Fateye ( Miss Nigeria 1993) and Sylvia Edem (Miss Nigeria 2002) both made it into the top three in Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria before taking part in Miss Nigeria.
  • In 2001, a contestant was accused of going commando underneath her short national costume, in a bid to win top marks from the judges. She later denied this, claiming she had worn a g-string.
  • The winner of Miss Nigeria 2003, Nwando Okuwosa is now a cadet in the British Army.
  • In 2003, first-runner-up Ewemade Ogbebor was chosen to represent Nigeria in Miss Earth. Her mentor was Miss Nigeria 1991 first-runner-up Ibinabo Fiberesima.
  • Currently, Miss Nigeria does not have an official website.

[edit] List of Miss Nigeria title holders

Year Title Holder
1964 Edna Park
1977 Toyin Monney
1979 Helen Prest
1980 Syster Jack
1984 Rosemary Okeke
1985 Cynthia Oronsaye
1986 Rita Anuku
1987 Stella Okoye
1988 Wunmi Adebowale
1990 Binta Sukai
1991 Bibiana Ohio
1993 Janet Fataye
1994 Clara Ojo
1998 Regina Nwabunar
1999 Vien Tetsola
2001 Valerie Peterside Dethroned
2001 Amina Ekpo Replaced Peterside
2002 Sylvia Edem
2003 Nwando Okwosa
2004 Ene Lawani

Miss Nigeria organisers do not host pageants every year. In the mid-sixties, it was prosponed due to the Nigerian civil war.

[edit] External links