Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria
Encyclopedia
The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) pageant
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...

 originally began as Miss Universe Nigeria in 1983, and was created by Silverbird Group
Silverbird Group
The Silverbird Group is one the largest entertainment companies in Nigeria and Africa. Consisting of Silverbird Entertainment, Silverbird Cinema, Rhythm FM and MBGN, it is thought to be third largest media entertainment company in Western Africa....

. It was later re-named Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1986. Winners represent Nigeria in Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...

 and, until recently, Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....

 – currently, only the first-runner up participates in Miss Universe. After Miss Nigeria
Miss Nigeria
Miss Nigeria is a pageant show used to showcase positive attributes of Nigerian women. Before 1986, winners represented Nigeria at international pageants including Miss World; this role is now performed by Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, while Miss Nigeria winners are ambassadors of Nigerian...

 stopped representing the country abroad, MBGN titleholders continued from where Miss Nigeria had stopped.

The current title holder is Miss Nigeria 2010 finalist Sylvia Nduka, who represented Taraba
Taraba State
Taraba State is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo.-History:...

, and is also the fifth consecutive Igbo to win the contest.

History

  • In the pageant's early days, contestants were allowed to wear maillot
    Maillot
    The maillot is the fashion designer's name for a woman's one-piece swimsuit, also called a tank suit. A maillot swimsuit generally consists of a tank-style torso top with high-cut legs...

     swimsuit
    Swimsuit
    A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...

    s of their choice during the swimsiut parade. Identical bikinis are now used instead.

  • The pageant's first winner was model Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu in 1986, who would later become Miss Africa 1987.

  • In 1987, the pageant produced the first Nigerian to reach the top ten at Miss World, 1986 first runner up Pharmacy
    Pharmacy
    Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...

     student Mary Bieoneh, who was also the first Nigerian to be named Continental Queen of Beauty.

  • 1988 winner, Law student Bianca Onoh
    Bianca Onoh
    Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a Nigerian businesswoman, former lawyer, and government official, recently appointed as Nigeria's Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs . -Pageants:...

     was crowned Miss Intercontinental in 1989, and was replaced by Biology
    Biology
    Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

     undergraduate and model Regina Askia
    Regina Askia
    Regina Askia-Williams - also known as Regina Askia - is a Nigerian born, American-based nurse who found fame as an actress, model, television producer and educational activist....

    , who was in the top three in Miss Charm held in Russia. As no MBGN contest was held that year, Askia automatically became MGBN 1989.

  • In 1990, aspiring entertainer Sabina Umeh
    Sabina Umeh
    Sabina Umeh-Akamune , is a Nigerian singer/songwriter and model.The daughter of a playwright, Umeh-Akamune, then a recent graduate of the University of Benin with a degree in Theatre Arts, was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1990 in December 1989, and would participate in Miss Universe,...

     won Miss World's Personality prize.

  • 1991 saw Nike Oshinowo
    Nike Oshinowo
    Nike Oshinowo-Soleye is a Nigerian businesswoman, socialite, and pageant director.Oshinowo was raised in Ibadan and England, where she attended boarding school. Although she had intended to become an air hostess or a doctor, she studied Politics at the University of Essex...

     crowned as the pageant's first Yoruba
    Yoruba people
    The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...

     winner.

  • Future Nollywood actress Toyin Raji
    Toyin Raji
    Toyin Enitan Raji is a Nigerian Nollywood actress and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and represented her country in Miss Universe 1995 and Miss World 1995.-Miss Universe 1995:...

     won Miss World's Personality prize in 1995, despite withdrawing from the pageant at the last minute due to political reasons. Prior to this, Raji had been named Miss Congeniality at Miss Universe 1995.

  • Law student Emma Komlosy became the first mixed race winner of MBGN in 1996. Komlosy's father is of Hungarian
    Hungary
    Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

     descent, and her mother, singer/actress Patti Boulaye
    Patti Boulaye
    Patti Boulaye is a British singer, actress and artist who was among the leading black British entertainers in the seventies and eighties...

     is from Delta
    Delta State
    Delta State may refer to:*Delta State, a state in southern Nigeria.*Delta State , a Canadian animated television series.*Delta State University, a public university located in the U.S. state of Mississippi....

    . Previous mixed race contestants had included Lilian Bach, Alex Lopez and Ibinabo Fiberesima.

  • In 2001, Mathematics
    Mathematics
    Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

     student Agbani Darego became the only black African to win Miss World
    Miss World
    The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...

    ; she had also been a finalist at Miss Universe 2001
    Miss Universe 2001
    Miss Universe 2001 was held at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico on May 11, 2001. 77 contestants participated in the prestigious event...

    . Following her victory, MBGN first runner-up Philosophy student Ann Suinner
    Ann Suinner
    Titilope Lawoyin is a former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.Lawoyin - then known as Ann Suinner - placed second in MBGN 2001, but replaced Agbani Darego after the latter was crowned Miss World....

     was asked to step in as the new titleholder for five months.

  • Chinenye Ochuba
    Chinenye Ochuba
    Chinenye Akinlade is a former beauty queen.Akinlade is the seventh of eight children and also a twin. Following completion of her secondary education at Regan Memorial Secondary School, she won the 2002 edition of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant while awaiting admission into university...

     was named Continental Queen of Beauty at Miss World 2002. Anita Uwagbale
    Anita Uwagbale
    Anita Iseghohi is a Nigerian businesswoman.Edo-native Iseghohi spent most of her early years in Lagos until she gained admission into Madonna University, Port Harcourt to study Accountancy. As an undergraduate, Iseghohi was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2004, enabling her to take part in...

     received this honour at Miss World 2004.

  • MBGN 2003 first runner-up Psychology
    Psychology
    Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

     student May Ikeora became the first Nigerian to win Miss Ecowas in Cape Verde
    Cape Verde
    The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...

    .

  • In 2005, Geography
    Geography
    Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

     student Omowunmi Akinnifesi
    Omowunmi Akinnifesi
    Omowunmi Akinnifesi is a Nigerian businesswoman and Lagos State's Environmental ambassador.The daughter of a former Central Bank of Nigeria director, Akinnifesi spent her early years in Sierra Leone before returning to her native Nigeria with her family. She attended Queen's College, Yaba, where...

     was crowned Miss Tourism International in Ukraine
    Ukraine
    Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

    .

  • In 2007, Silverbird announced that the pageant would produce five representatives, as opposed to one winner.

  • In 2009, MBGN second-place winner Diana Odiaka was named Miss Tourism Africa at Miss Tourism Queen International.

Titleholders

Several past winners and participants of MBGN have managed to carve out successful careers in music (Sabina Umeh
Sabina Umeh
Sabina Umeh-Akamune , is a Nigerian singer/songwriter and model.The daughter of a playwright, Umeh-Akamune, then a recent graduate of the University of Benin with a degree in Theatre Arts, was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1990 in December 1989, and would participate in Miss Universe,...

, Emma Komlosy, Munachi Nwankwo, Ibinabo Fiberesima), acting (Regina Askia
Regina Askia
Regina Askia-Williams - also known as Regina Askia - is a Nigerian born, American-based nurse who found fame as an actress, model, television producer and educational activist....

, Stephanie Okereke
Stephanie Okereke
Stephanie Onyekachi Okereke is a Nigerian actress, film director and model. She has received several awards and nominations for her work as an actress, including the 2003 Reel Award for Best Actress, the 2006 Afro Hollywood Award for Best Actress, and three nominations for Best Actress in a...

, Alex Lopez, Ibinabo Fiberesima), business (Bianca Onoh
Bianca Onoh
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a Nigerian businesswoman, former lawyer, and government official, recently appointed as Nigeria's Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs . -Pageants:...

, Omowunmi Akinnifesi
Omowunmi Akinnifesi
Omowunmi Akinnifesi is a Nigerian businesswoman and Lagos State's Environmental ambassador.The daughter of a former Central Bank of Nigeria director, Akinnifesi spent her early years in Sierra Leone before returning to her native Nigeria with her family. She attended Queen's College, Yaba, where...

), television (Chika Chikezie, Celia Bissong
Celia Bissong
Omotu Bissong - formerly credited as Celia Bissong - is a Nigerian model, television presenter, and actress....

), and politics (Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu
Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu
The Honourable Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu is a Nigerian politician.The daughter of judge and former Nigeria Football Association chairman Justice Chuba-Ikpeazu QC, Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu was educated in Nigeria, England, and America where she worked as a model...

, Omasan Buwa
Omasan Buwa
Omasan Tokurbo Buwa is a Nigerian lawyer and magazine columnist, currently working as a government official in Delta State.Buwa was born in England, but moved to her native Nigeria with her parents at the age of seven. In 1987, she rose to national fame in Nigeria when she represented Warri in the...

). Two former contestants, 1991 winner Nike Oshinowo
Nike Oshinowo
Nike Oshinowo-Soleye is a Nigerian businesswoman, socialite, and pageant director.Oshinowo was raised in Ibadan and England, where she attended boarding school. Although she had intended to become an air hostess or a doctor, she studied Politics at the University of Essex...

 and 1990 third-place winner Robina Ehana are currently pageant organisers, with Oshinowo as chief executive and creative director of Miss Nigeria
Miss Nigeria
Miss Nigeria is a pageant show used to showcase positive attributes of Nigerian women. Before 1986, winners represented Nigeria at international pageants including Miss World; this role is now performed by Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, while Miss Nigeria winners are ambassadors of Nigerian...

, and Ehana in charge of Mrs Nigeria. Others, like Rhihole Gbinigie
Rhihole Gbinigie
Rhihole Gbinigie is a former Nigerian beauty queen. She won the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant in 1993, and went on to represent Nigeria at Miss Universe in Mexico that same year. In 1998, Gbinigie was a judge at the MBGN pageant.-References:...

 and Sandra Petgrave, have sank into obscurity.
Year Titleholder State/town represented International level Notes
1986 Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu Imo
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...

Miss Africa 1986 Now member of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Nigeria
The House of Representatives of Nigeria is the lower house of the country's bicameral National Assembly. The Senate of Nigeria is the upper house....

1987 Omasan Buwa
Omasan Buwa
Omasan Tokurbo Buwa is a Nigerian lawyer and magazine columnist, currently working as a government official in Delta State.Buwa was born in England, but moved to her native Nigeria with her parents at the age of seven. In 1987, she rose to national fame in Nigeria when she represented Warri in the...

Warri Miss Intercontinental 1987 finalist Currently politician in Delta
Delta State
Delta State may refer to:*Delta State, a state in southern Nigeria.*Delta State , a Canadian animated television series.*Delta State University, a public university located in the U.S. state of Mississippi....

1988 Bianca Onoh
Bianca Onoh
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a Nigerian businesswoman, former lawyer, and government official, recently appointed as Nigeria's Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs . -Pageants:...

Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...

Miss Charm International 1989 Miss Congeniality and Semi Finalist; Miss Intercontinental 1989 Owns cosmetics company; now Nigeria's Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs, and married to Emeka Ojukwu
1989 Regina Askia
Regina Askia
Regina Askia-Williams - also known as Regina Askia - is a Nigerian born, American-based nurse who found fame as an actress, model, television producer and educational activist....

 (Replaced Onoh)
Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria named after the Qua Iboe river. It is located in the coastal South-Southern part of the country, lying between latitudes 4°321 and 5°331 North, and longitudes 7°251 and 8°251 East...

First runner-up Miss Charm International 1990 Worked as film actress; now a registered nurse in America
1990 Sabina Umeh
Sabina Umeh
Sabina Umeh-Akamune , is a Nigerian singer/songwriter and model.The daughter of a playwright, Umeh-Akamune, then a recent graduate of the University of Benin with a degree in Theatre Arts, was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1990 in December 1989, and would participate in Miss Universe,...

Imo
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...

Miss Personality (Miss World 1990) Singer/songwriter/model – performing under the name Sabina Afrogena; married to fashion designer Kese Jabari
1991 Nike Oshinowo
Nike Oshinowo
Nike Oshinowo-Soleye is a Nigerian businesswoman, socialite, and pageant director.Oshinowo was raised in Ibadan and England, where she attended boarding school. Although she had intended to become an air hostess or a doctor, she studied Politics at the University of Essex...

Rivers
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...

Now Nike Oshinowo-Soleye; creative director, Miss Nigeria
Miss Nigeria
Miss Nigeria is a pageant show used to showcase positive attributes of Nigerian women. Before 1986, winners represented Nigeria at international pageants including Miss World; this role is now performed by Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, while Miss Nigeria winners are ambassadors of Nigerian...

1992 Sandra Petgrave Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria named after the Qua Iboe river. It is located in the coastal South-Southern part of the country, lying between latitudes 4°321 and 5°331 North, and longitudes 7°251 and 8°251 East...

Co-hosted the 1994 edition of MBGN; now living in America
1993 Rhihole Gbinigie Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

Judge at the 1998 edition of MBGN; whereabouts now unknown
1994 Susan Hart Benue
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...

Whereabouts unknown
1995 Toyin Raji
Toyin Raji
Toyin Enitan Raji is a Nigerian Nollywood actress and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and represented her country in Miss Universe 1995 and Miss World 1995.-Miss Universe 1995:...

Kogi
Kogi State
Kogi state is found in the central region of Nigeria. It is popularly called the Confluence State because the confluence of River Niger and River Benue is at its capital, Lokoja, which is the first administrative capital of modern-day Nigeria....

Miss Congeniality (Miss Universe 1995), Miss Personality (Miss World 1995) Withdrew from Miss World 1995, briefly worked as actress
1996 Emma Komlosy Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

Now Aret Kapetanovic; works as a singer/songwriter
1998 Chika Chikezie Imo
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...

Presented the Lottery Show and Quiz Line
1999 Angela Ukpoma Imo
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...

Now Angel Baldwin; works as model and voice-over artiste in America
2000 Matilda Kerry
Matilda Kerry
Matilda Kerry, MD is a Nigerian doctor. Kerry attended Federal Girls College, Benin,and later the University of Lagos where she studied Medicine and Surgery. In 2000, she was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, making her Nigeria's Miss World 2000 representative. As MBGN, her project was...

Rivers
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...

Now a medical doctor
2001 Agbani Darego
Agbani Darego
Agbani Darego is a Nigerian model, best known as the first Sub-Saharan African Miss World.-Early life:...

Rivers Miss Universe 2001 finalist; Miss World 2001
Miss World 2001
Miss World 2001, the 51st Miss World pageant was held at the Super Bowl, in Sun City Entertainment Centre, Sun City, South Africa on November 16, 2001. Agbani Darego from Nigeria won the pageant, she became the first black African to win the Miss World crown...

, Continental Queen of Africa Award
Spokesperson for Afrik Airlines ; has modelled for L'Oreal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...

2001 Ann Suinner
Ann Suinner
Titilope Lawoyin is a former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.Lawoyin - then known as Ann Suinner - placed second in MBGN 2001, but replaced Agbani Darego after the latter was crowned Miss World....

 (Replaced Darego)
Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...

Now Titilope Lawoyin, studying Nursing in America
2002 Chinenye Ochuba
Chinenye Ochuba
Chinenye Akinlade is a former beauty queen.Akinlade is the seventh of eight children and also a twin. Following completion of her secondary education at Regan Memorial Secondary School, she won the 2002 edition of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant while awaiting admission into university...

Anambra
Anambra State
Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is...

Miss World 2002 finalist, Continental Queen of Africa Award (Miss World 2002) Now Chinenye Akinlade; works for Exxon Mobile
2003 Celia Bissong
Celia Bissong
Omotu Bissong - formerly credited as Celia Bissong - is a Nigerian model, television presenter, and actress....

Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....

Now Omotu Bissong; works as television presenter and model
2004 Anita Uwagbele Benin City
Benin City
Benin City, is a city and the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria. It is a city approximately twenty-five miles north of the Benin River. It is situated 200 miles by road east of Lagos...

Continental Queen of Africa Award (Miss World 2004) Now Anita Iseghohi; businesswoman
2005 Omowunmi Akinnifesi
Omowunmi Akinnifesi
Omowunmi Akinnifesi is a Nigerian businesswoman and Lagos State's Environmental ambassador.The daughter of a former Central Bank of Nigeria director, Akinnifesi spent her early years in Sierra Leone before returning to her native Nigeria with her family. She attended Queen's College, Yaba, where...

Kwara
Kwara State
Kwara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Ilorin. The primary ethnic group of Kwara State is Yoruba, with significant Nupe, Bariba and Fulani minorities.- History :...

Miss Tourism International 2005 Now Lagos State Environmental ambassador
2006 Abiola Bashorun
Abiola Bashorun
Abiola Bashorun is a model, and former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.In 2006, eighteen year-old Bashorun was the surprise winner of the annual pageant. As the reigning queen, Baroshun's project was Sickle cell awareness - she had been inspired after losing a friend to the disease - and she spent...

Lagos
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...

Starred in Motorolla commercial
2007 Munachi Nwankwo Imo
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...

Rap artiste performing under the name Muna; currently the face of Lux
Lux (soap)
Lux is a global brand developed by Unilever. The range of products includes beauty soaps, shower gels, bath additives, hair shampoos and conditioners. Lux started as “Sunlight Flakes” laundry soap in 1899....

 in Nigeria
2008 Adaeze Igwe
Adaeze Igwe
Adaeze Yobo is a former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, and step-daughter of former football player John Fashanu...

Anambra
Anambra State
Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is...

First runner-up Miss World Sports
Miss World Sports
Miss World Sports or Sportswoman is a title and award given to the winner of a sports event at Miss World. It is a fast track or preliminary event, giving the winner automatically makes it into the semifinals. So far there are 5 Miss World Sports winners starting at 2003...

, Top Twenty Miss World Talent
Miss World Talent
Miss World Talent is a talent or fast track competition in the Miss World pageant, in which a number of contestants show their abilities in singing, dancing, poetry, etc. Introduced in Miss World 2001, the winner of the event automatically makes it into the semifinals starting 2003.-Miss World...

Married Joseph Yobo
Joseph Yobo
Joseph Yobo is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a centre back for Fenerbahçe, on loan from Everton. He is also an international for the Nigerian national team, for which he has 81 caps and currently captains....

 in 2010; now residing in Turkey
2009 Glory Chuku
Glory Chuku
Glory Umunna is a former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.Umunna is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka with a degree in Microbiology. Despite her Igbo heritage, Ohafia-native Umunna represented predominantly Islamic state Nassarawa in a ceremony held for the first time in Owerri...

Nasarawa
Nasarawa State
Nasarawa State is a state in central Nigeria. Its capital is Lafia.-History:Nasarawa was created on 1 October 1996 by the Abacha government from the Plateau State.-Geography:...

Now Glory Umunna; established the Glory Chuku Foundation
2010 Amuzie Afora Plateau
Plateau State
Plateau State is the twelfth largest state of Nigeria, and is roughly located in the center of the country. It is geographically unique in Nigeria because its boundaries totally surround the Jos Plateau, having the Jos Plateau totally in its central and northern part...

2011 Sylvia Nduka Taraba
Taraba State
Taraba State is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo.-History:...


Crossovers

  • MBGN 1987 model Omasan Buwa
    Omasan Buwa
    Omasan Tokurbo Buwa is a Nigerian lawyer and magazine columnist, currently working as a government official in Delta State.Buwa was born in England, but moved to her native Nigeria with her parents at the age of seven. In 1987, she rose to national fame in Nigeria when she represented Warri in the...

     had placed second in Miss Nigeria 1987.

  • At MBGN 1992, pharmacy
    Pharmacy
    Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...

     graduate Kemi Fateye placed second in the pageant. A year later she competed as Janet Fateye in Miss Nigeria and emerged winner.

  • Miss Nigeria 2002 International Relations
    International relations
    International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...

     graduate Sylvia Edem was in the top five at MBGN 1998.

  • Former Mathematics
    Mathematics
    Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

     student and future Miss World Agbani Darego
    Agbani Darego
    Agbani Darego is a Nigerian model, best known as the first Sub-Saharan African Miss World.-Early life:...

     had auditioned for M-Net Face of Africa before applying for MBGN.

  • In 2010, five years after representing the country at Miss Universe
    Miss Universe 2005
    Miss Universe 2005, the 54th Miss Universe pageant, was held at the Impact Arena, Bangkok, Thailand on May 31, 2005.At the conclusion of the final telecast, Miss Universe Canada, Natalie Glebova was crowned Miss Universe 2005 by outgoing titleholder Jennifer Hawkins of Australia...

    , Human Science
    Human Science
    Human science refers to the investigation of human life and activities via a phenomenological methodology that acknowledges the validity of both sensory and psychological experience...

     student and MBGN 2005 first runner-up Roseline Amusu was among the contestants at Miss Africa USA where she made the top five.

  • The reigning MBGN, Accountancy
    Accountancy
    Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...

     student Sylvia Nduka, had represented Kaduna in Miss Nigeria 2010.

  • A number of past contestants had been crowned campus queen prior to winning the MBGN title. These include Sabina Umeh
    Sabina Umeh
    Sabina Umeh-Akamune , is a Nigerian singer/songwriter and model.The daughter of a playwright, Umeh-Akamune, then a recent graduate of the University of Benin with a degree in Theatre Arts, was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1990 in December 1989, and would participate in Miss Universe,...

     (University of Benin
    University of Benin (Nigeria)
    The University of Benin - also known as UNIBEN - is one of the country's major universities.-History:The university was founded in 1970 by the military government of Samuel Ogbemudia.It teaches in a broad range of subjects, including a medical school...

    )and Regina Askia (University of Lagos
    University of Lagos
    The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...

    ).

Triva

  • A number of contestants who participated in MBGN but failed to win tried their luck in Miss Nigeria
    Miss Nigeria
    Miss Nigeria is a pageant show used to showcase positive attributes of Nigerian women. Before 1986, winners represented Nigeria at international pageants including Miss World; this role is now performed by Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, while Miss Nigeria winners are ambassadors of Nigerian...

    . Successful contestants include Janet Fateye (Miss Nigeria 1993), and Sylvia Edem (Miss Nigeria 2002).

  • The contestants do not always represent the states they hail from – nearly all of the contestants who represent northern states are southeners, as the predominantly Islamic north frown upon beauty pageants. Last year, Glory Chuku, represented northern state Nassarawa, despite her Igbo
    Igbo people
    Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...

    heritage.

  • Most of the pageant's winners – including reigning queen Sylvia Nduka – are Igbo.
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