In 1983, Ben Murray Bruce started a pageant called Miss Universe Nigeria. A few years later, in 1986, the pageantry transformed to Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN), with its first winner being Lynda Chuba, a politician and model. Even with its headquarters in Lagos, women from different parts of Nigeria have contested and won the pageantry and represented the country in many beauty competitions worldwide, including Miss World.
Although the beauty contest started with producing only the winner to represent Nigeria at international competitions, the system changed with the production of four other queens. These queens are Miss MBGN Universe, MBGN Ecowas, MBGN Tourism, and MBGN Model. These MBGNs contest at the Miss Universe, Miss Ecowas, Miss Tourism, and Top Model, respectively. However, the fifth title MBGN Model was replaced with MBGN Ambassador, whose role would be to perform ceremonial duties.
After winning the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageantry, titleholders embark on projects from different sectors to create awareness and develop the nation. These queens go on to participate alongside other women in international pageants. In the history of MBGN, there has only been one beauty queen in Nigeria who has won the Miss World title – Agbani Darego!
Most Beautiful Girls In Nigeria Who Won Other International Awards
Nyekachi DouglasÂ
- Year of MBGN win: 2019
- International titles/awards won: Miss Africa, Miss World Top Model (2019)
- Age at the Time: 21
- State of Origin: Rivers State
Nyekachi Douglas was born on 28 May 1998 as an indigene of Emouha Local Government Area of Rivers State. At a young age, she discovered her flair for modeling and would later find herself walking for renowned fashion designers, including Amalia Probowo, in 2017 and many others. As a model in the United States, where she lived most of her life, Nyekachi did not get as much publicity until she returned to Nigeria to represent Rivers State in the 2019 MBGN pageant.
Out of 37 contestants, Nyekachi became the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in October 2019. As such, she represented the country at the Miss World pageant in December of the same year in Excel London. Although she did not become Miss World, she was among the top 5 contestants and became the winner of the competition’s Top Model. She was also the 1st Runner-Up in the Sports category of the Miss World competition. In addition, Nyekachi became Miss World Africa also in 2019.
Upon her becoming a beauty queen, Nyekachi has participated in several community works, including working towards infection prevention and control, improving the living conditions of people, and getting fundings from different sources as an aid to people living in floating slums among other works. The 25-years-old Douglas, upon serving her term, returned to her modeling career. Since she is relatively a private person, it is unknown if she has returned to school to complete her education.
Ugochi Ihezue
- Year of MBGN win: 2007
- International titles/awards won: Miss World Top Model (2017)
- Age at the Time:Â 27
- State of Origin:Â Imo State
Ugochi Mitchel Ihezue is a 33-year-old model and former MBGN who represented Nigeria at the 2017 Miss World pageant, where she finished among the top 15 contestants from different countries. In the same year, she made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win the Miss World Top Model pageant, which was also later won by Nyekachi Douglas.
Before becoming a beauty queen, she was a student at the University of Benin, where she studied Fine and Applied Arts. After her reign, Ugochi has relatively stayed away from the public’s eye, thereby making it difficult for her current lifestyle to be known. However, at the time of her reign, she opened up about her desire to return to school later to get her master’s degree. Also, she has made a name for herself in the modeling world, and she may currently be pursuing a career as a model.
Anita Uwagbele
- Year of MBGN win: 2004
- International titles/awards won: Top 15 Miss World and Miss World Africa (2004)
- Age at the Time: 18Â
- State of Origin:Â Edo State
Anita Uwagbele became known when she participated and won the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant in 2004. The same year, she took part in the Miss World competition, where she reached the Top 15 spot. Although she did not win, she won the title of Miss Africa. Also, as a beauty queen, Anita represented Nigeria at the Miss Universe and Miss Tourism International, where she finished as the first runner-up.
The 38-year-old is one of the most accomplished beauty queens in Nigeria. After serving for a year, she relocated to the United States, where she attended the University of Phoenix, Arizona, and later started ‘The Baby Store’ in 2011. She further took a career as a nutritionist and a weight-loss coach. The former beauty queen didn’t stop there, as she saw herself become a marathon racer, participating in Access Bank Lagos Marathon in 2018, Dubai Marathon in 2019, and a host of others in New York, London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
Regarding her private life, Anita became married to Tom Iseghohi in 2008 at the age of 22. In 2018, they divorced after three children – two sons and a daughter. Even though she may have reached success in different aspects of her life and stays away from controversies and scandals, her ex-husband was accused in 2009 of embezzling NITEL shareholders. However, the charge was later dropped.
Joy Ngozika Obasi
- Year of MBGN win: 2009
- International titles/awards won: Miss Ecowas, 2001
- Age at the Time: 20
- State of Origin: Abia State
After Silverbird decided to have 5 winners at the MBGN instead of 1, Joy Obasi went on to win the MBGN Ecowas. As such, she represented the country in the 2009 Miss Ecowas and became the first Nigerian to win the title. However, Joy keeps her private life away from the public, thereby making it difficult to unravel details about her. Having become queen at 20, Joy Obasi was born in 1989.
Chinenye Ochuba-Akinlade
- Year of MBGN win: 2002
- International titles/awards won (Year): Top 10 Miss World Finalist and Miss World Africa (2002)
- Age at the Time: 19
- State of Origin:Â Anambra State
In 2002, Chinenye Ochuba won the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria title; thus, representing the country at the 2002 Miss Universe and Miss World pageants. Although her contest was not successful at the Miss Universe pageant, Chinenye made it to the list of 10 finalists at Miss World, where she won the Miss Africa crown for the Continental Queen of Beauty.
Following her reign, she graduated from the University of Greenwich, London, in 2008, where she studied Accounting and Financing. Chinenye explored other aspects of her career, working for Exxon Mobil, an oil company.
She is 40 years old and has changed from her slender figure at the time of her reign. She now lives a private life despite being married to a businessman and politician, Kunle Akindele. Also, she is a mother of two – a son and a daughter.
Agbani Darego-Danjuma
- Year of MBGN win: 2001
- International titles/awards won: Miss World, 2001
- Age at the Time: 18
- State of Origin: Rivers State
Currently 41 years old, Agbani Darego defiled all odds to become the first indigenous African woman, the third black woman, and the only Nigerian to win the Miss World Beauty pageant. Before she became Miss World in November 2001, Agbani was still a computer science student at the University of Port Harcourt. She started by competing at The Face of Africa modeling contest, where she ended as a runner-up.
However, in January 2001, she became the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, which led to her competing and winning the Miss World beauty pageant against many women who competed. The beauty queen, who stands at 6 feet 1 inch tall, had a successful reign as a queen who created breast-cancer awareness in honor of her mother, who died of the ailment when the queen was in secondary school. Malaria was also one of the top things Agbani fought against.
Although there were no direct controversies about her while she was serving as queen, few weeks before the end of the reign ended in controversies centered on politics and religion in Nigeria where a woman, Amina Lawal, was to be killed by stoning for committing adultery. This led to a crisis that led to the death of over 200 Nigerians. As a result, women’s rights groups kicked against holding the competition in a country about to kill a woman for a crime like that. The Miss World competition that was to be held in Nigeria in honor of Darego was held in London for the safety of the queens.
During and after her reign as queen, Agbani worked as a model for several international agencies and designers such as Trump Model Management, L’Oreal, Avon, Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Macy’s, and Sephora, among others. She has appeared on the covers of Vogue, Genevieve, True Love, ThisDay Style, and Mania, to mention a few. Also, Agbani served as a judge in Miss World 2014, Elite Model Look Nigeria 2012 and 2014, Miss England 2002, and Mr. Scotland 2002. In 2010, she started her own fashion TV Show called Stylogenic and later a fashion line, AD by Agbani Darego.
In 2012, she graduated from New York University, where she studied Psychology, and in 2017, she became married to Ishaya Danjuma. Together, they have two children born in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
Bianca Onoh
- Year of MBGN win:Â 1988
- International titles/awards won: Miss Africa 1989, Miss Intercontinental 1989
- Age at the Time:Â 20
- State of Origin:Â Anambra
Bianca Onoh, also known as Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the wife of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and daughter of former Anambra State governor, Christian Onoh. She is currently 55 years old and has served as a presidential advisor to former Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan. She was also Nigeria’s ambassador to Ghana and Spain. Before then, however, Bianca participated in several beauty pageants, where she first won Miss Martini. In 1988, she became the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.
In 1989, she was declared Miss Africa, and in the same year, she became the first African to win Miss Intercontinental. Away from her beauty queen role, Bianca has won several awards. She was given an award of merit by El Mundo Diplomatico and won Africa’s Outstanding Ambassador by Dutch in 2014 and the Ambassador of Excellence title, among others.
Bianca Onoh Ojukwu may have been successful in her beauty, diplomatic, and political careers, several controversies surround her. Her relationship with the former Biafran president and leader of the Biafran war, Ojukwu, who was also her father’s political associate and 30 years older than her, raised controversies, which added to her reasons for her resigning as Miss Intercontinental. In addition, many controversies rose among Ojukwu’s family after his death in 2012 with his wealth willed to her. With Ojukwu, she birthed 3 children.
Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu
- Year of MBGN win: 1986
- International titles/awards won: Miss Africa (1987)
- Age at the Time: 20
- State of Origin: Anambra
Lynda Chuba was born on June 22, 1966, to a former chief justice who also served as NFA chairman twice. Lynda started as a model in different countries in Europe and America and went on to win the first Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1987. Upon winning the MBGN crown, she represented Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant. Over 2 decades after Edna Park contested. Still, in 1987, Chuba became Miss Africa.
Lynda Chuba, who hails from Anambra, was queen more than 3 decades ago, and even at the age of 57, her beauty has not faded. Although she is no longer a model, she still has her name at the forefront of public issues in Nigeria. She is a politician who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003. She has since been representing Onitsha North and South Federal Constituency at the National Assembly and has proposed many bills, with many being passed into law. Also, a member of the board of directors of Anambra State.
Most Beautiful Girls In Nigeria That Came Close To Winning International Titles And Awards
Anita Ukah
- Year of MBGN win: 2018
- International titles/awards won: Top 30 Miss World (2018)
- Age at the Time: 23
- State of Origin: Imo State
Anita Ukah was born on August 14, 1995, and is currently 28 years old. Her journey to becoming an acclaimed beauty queen started while attending Igbinedion University, Okada, where she studies medical laboratory science. There, she won the school’s beauty pageantry.
In 2018, two years after her graduation in 2016, Ukah contested and became the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. Also, in 2018, Ukah contested at the Miss World Pageant and was in the top 30 list. A year after, she started a brand called Uzo Brand with a focus on fashion accessories.
Omasan Buwa
- Year of MBGN win:Â 1987
- International titles/awards won: Top 5 Miss Intercontinental
- Age at the Time: Unknown
- State of Origin: Delta State
Unlike many other beauty queens who grew up before they became queens, Omasan Buwa became queen (the cutest baby) when she was born. She was crowned as Cow and Gate Baby at the Paddington Hospital, Westminster, London, where she was born. When she returned to Nigeria, she attended different schools and later ventured into different things, including pageantry. In 1987, she lost her bid to become Miss Nigeria, but when she contested for MBGN, she won.
She was not the normal Nigerian beauty queen as she was described as tomboyish. Nevertheless, her not-so-common features led to her participating at the Miss Intercontinental, where she finished among the Top 5 contestants. Omasan’s reign ended a year after she was made queen, but her exploration of life in several works of life even became more. She was an actress best known for playing a role in Memories and Ripples soap operas.
She is also into cosmetology, a lawyer, broadcaster, restaurant operator, broadcaster, social activist, and educationist, among other things. In addition, Omasan became married and has a daughter and twin boys before she became divorced from her husband. At present and many years after she became the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Omasan still has her beauty and impacts society in her 50s.
Other Most Beautiful Girls In Nigeria
- Unoaku Anyadike (2015)
- Iheoma Nnadi (2014)
- Anna Banner (2013)
- Issabella Ayuk (2012)
- Sylvia Nduka (2011)
- Fiona Amuzie (2010)
- Glory Chukwu (2009)
- Adaeze Igwe (2008)
- Munachi Nwankwo (2007)
- Abiola Bashorun (2006)
- Omowunmi Akinnifesi (2005)
- Celia Bisson (2003)
- Ann Suinner (2001, took over after Agbani Darego became Miss World)
- Matilda Kerry (2000)
- Angela Ukpoma (1999)
- Chika Chikezie (1998)
- Emma Komlosy (1996)
- Toyin Raji (1995)
- Susan Hart (1994)
- Rihole Gbinigie (1993)
- Sandra Petgrave (1992)
- Nike Oshinowo (1991)
- Sabina Umeh (1990)
- Regina Askia (1988, took over after Bianca Onoh resigned)