Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria: Past winners, how to contest

The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) is a popular beauty pageant organized by Silverbird Group. Originally known as Miss Universe Nigeria.

The pageantry has produced internationally acclaimed beauty queens like Agbani Darego, who won Miss World in 2001 and Bianca Onoh, who won Miss Africa 1989 & Miss Intercontinental 1989. Other notable beauty queens are Linda Chuba (Miss Africa 1987), Chinenye Ochuba (Continental Queen of Beauty Africa 2002), Anita Uwagbele (Continental Queen of Beauty Africa, 2004), Nyekachi Douglas (Continental Queen of Beauty, Africa, 2019) and others.

MBGN also propelled beauty queens into pursuing successful careers in their various fields. Sabina Umeh, Regina Askia, Emma Komlosy, Celia Bissong, and Munachi Nwankwo pursued a career in the movie industry, while Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu and Omasan Buwa went into politics. Bianca became a presidential adviser, ambassador and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UNWTO.

This piece will share the meaning of MBGN, the current winner of the title, how to contest for Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and past winners.

What is MBGN?

MBGN means the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. The pageant was organized to send Nigerian representatives to international competitions. MBGN was originally known as Miss Universe Nigeria. It was renamed after news publishers Daily Times lost their license to send delegates from rival beauty pageantry Miss Nigeria to Miss World.

Founder of Silverbird Group, Ben Murray-Bruce, established MBGN after his magazine Silverbird failed. He took a loan of N200,000 from his father and organized several successful concerts, which also involved inviting popular American artists like Shalamar and Kool and the Gang to perform in Nigeria. He promoted a new pageant known as Miss Universe Nigeria in 1983.

Omololu Ojehomon was the winner, but she didn’t compete in Miss Universe. However, the beauty contest gained its first popularity after it was renamed Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1986. Model Lynda Chuba became the official first winner of MBGN.

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MBGN winners are expected to represent Nigeria in the Miss World and Miss Universe. In 2007, Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria organizers announced four more representatives apart from the winner. They are:

• Miss MBGN Universe (to represent at Miss Universe)
• MBGN Tourism (Miss Tourism International)
• MBGN ECOWAS (Miss ECOWAS)
• MBGN Ambassador, which replaced MBGN Model, a title that allowed the winner to compete in modelling contests at the international level.

Also, Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria acquired the Miss Supranational franchise in 2021.

Winners of MBGN must pick a platform or a pet project to promote during their reign. The project must be relevant in Nigeria, and the MBGN titleholder must address the public via this platform. Sickle Cell Awareness, Widow Empowerment, Education, and Polio are some of the popular pet projects.

Current Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria

Oluchi Madubuike is the current winner of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. She represented Abuja during the contest on September 19, 2021. 

Oluchi attended the University of Texas, where she got a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2017. She won Miss Africa Texas 2016/2017 and was the first runner-up in Miss Nigeria USA 2019. 

How to contest MBGN

You must have the following requirements before you can contest for Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria:

• You must be a Nigerian citizen.
• You must be between 18 and 24 years old.
• Must be single—no children and never been married before.
• You must be available to compete in the Miss International, Miss ECOWAS, Miss Tourism, and Miss World.
• You have to undergo a screening exercise from your State. This exercise, also known as an audition, will determine successful contestants representing each of the 36 States in Nigeria that will contest in the finale. You are also expected to go with a swimsuit and heels to the screening locations.

Successful contestants will be coached on etiquette and stage presence at the boot camp before competing at the finale.

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The finale is divided into segments like Opening Dance, Talent Show, Traditional Costume, Swimwear and Evening Gown plus Interview.

The winner will represent Nigeria at the Miss World contest. She will also take home a cash prize of N3 million and a car. In addition, the MBGN title holder stands a chance to get modelling contracts and endorsement deals from multinational companies.

Other awards that will be presented to contestants at the finale are Miss Photogenic, Miss Amity, and Best Traditional Costume.

MBGN past winners

The runners-up replaced the winners in international beauty competitions in some rare cases. For instance, Regina Askia replaced Bianca Onoh and completed her tenure as Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. Bianca resigned following the controversy surrounding her relationship with Biafra Warlord, General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. The couple kept their relationship secret until they got married in 1994. At the time, MBGN titleholders were not allowed to have high-profile relationships during their tenure. Bianca later said performing her duties as a beauty queen was unbearable, so she resigned, and Regina took over.

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Here is a list of MBGN past winners:

Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria past winners

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Other notable contestants at Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria are:

• Chidinma Aaron, Miss Nigeria 2018
• Lilian Bach (as Bola Bach), actress 
• Kehinde Bankole, model and actress
• Sylvia Edem, Miss Nigeria 2002
• Janet Fateye (as Kemi Fateye), singer and Miss Nigeria 1993
• Yemi Fawaz† (as Miss Universe Nigeria contestant), model and actress
• Ibinabo Fiberesima, actress
• Nengi Hampson (as Rebecca Hampson), reality TV personality and TNQ 2013 
• May Ikeora, lawyer, Miss ECOWAS 2003, and executive director, Miss Nigeria
• Alex Lopez, actress
• Erica Nlewedim, actress, model, and reality TV personality
• Chikaodili Nna-Udosen, TNQ 2020
• Stephanie Okereke, actress
• Maristella Okpara, Miss Earth Nigeria 2018
• Grace Oboba, actress/producer 
• Ebinabo Potts-Johnson, model
• Gloria ‘Giomanni’ Ziregbe, singer
• Patricia Osita Onumonu, model, fashion designer 
• Vien Tetsola, pastor and Miss Nigeria 2000

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