# Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria

The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria – often abbreviated as MBGN – is a pageant organised by Silverbird Group with the main purpose of sending representatives to international competitions. Originally known as Miss Universe Nigeria, it was renamed Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria after news publishers Daily Times lost their license to send delegates from rival contest Miss Nigeria to Miss World. Since 2005, the pageant has produced multiple representatives, but the MBGN World recipient is considered the overall winner. Miss Universe Nigeria was reestablished in 2023, breaking away from MBGN and operating as an entirely different pageant.
The current Titleholder is event planner Ada Eme who represented Abia.

## History

Former publisher Ben Murray-Bruce ventured into show business after his magazine Silverbird flopped. He took a loan of N200,000 from his father which he used to organise a number of concerts which saw artists like Shalamar and Kool and the Gang perform in Nigeria, after which he promoted a new pageant known as Miss Universe Nigeria in 1983 (Omololu Ojehomon was crowned winner but never competed in Miss Universe). Murray-Bruce's pageant only gained public attention after Miss Nigeria Universe metamorphosed into Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1986, and its first winner was model Lynda Chuba.
MBGN winners were expected to represent Nigeria at Miss World and, until 2004, Miss Universe. Chuba was the first Nigerian representative in twenty-three years of to compete after Edna Park in 1964, while the first MBGN winner at Miss World was English Language student Omasan Buwa in 1987. As with most pageants, second-place winners are expected to replace the title-holder if they are unable to complete their reign; in MBGN this has only happened twice – Biology student Regina Askia replaced Bianca Onoh after the latter resigned in 1989, while Philosophy student Ann Suinner continued Agbani Darego's reign after the latter was crowned Miss World in 2001.
Winners traditionally adopt at least one platform (also known as 'pet project') during their reign – an issue which is of relevance to Nigeria. Once chosen, the winner (and occasionally other finalists) uses their status to address the public about their platform. The most popular was initially Sickle Cell Awareness, but others have included Polio, Child labour, Education, and Widow Empowerment.
In 2007, Silverbird announced that the pageant would produce four more representatives apart from the winner. The original titles were Miss MBGN Universe (to represent at Miss Universe), MBGN Tourism (Miss Tourism International), and MBGN Ecowas (Miss Ecowas). The fifth title, MBGN Model, which allowed its holder to compete in modelling contests at international level, was briefly dropped and replaced with MBGN Ambassador, with its winner performing ceremonial duties in the country. In 2021, MBGN acquired the Miss Supranational franchise.
The differences between MBGN and Miss Nigeria have been compared with Miss USA and Miss America. While MBGN delegates compete at international level, Miss Nigeria winners no longer have this privilege. In 2010 Miss Nigeria was relaunched as a scholarship programme and its winners in recent years receive modelling contract as part of their prize.
In 2023, Silverbird announced a separate pageant Miss Universe Nigeria would select Nigeria's new Miss Universe representative, breaking away from MBGN.

### Competition

Screening exercises (also known as 'auditions') are held nationwide to select contestants, and successful contestants will be coached on etiquette and stage presence at the boot-camp before competing at the finale, where segments include Interview and Evening Gown, and unlike Miss Nigeria, Swimwear. In the pageant's early days, contestants were allowed to wear one-pieces of their choice for the swimsuit competition. Identical bikinis are now used instead. In 2014, a talent competition was introduced as part of the preliminaries.
In the mid-nineties, after Nigeria yet again failed to place at Miss Universe and Miss World, MBGN organisers placed height and weight restrictions on contestants, and judges were advised not to select the woman they found most attractive, but the contestant with a greater chance of winning at international pageants.
Due to the country's conservative standards, very few contestants competed in the early days of MBGN, and competitors from Northern Nigeria are still rare as its predominantly Muslim population frown on beauty pageants. Guy Murray-Bruce, who succeeded his brother as pageant director in 1992 told The Guardian: "Getting the girls to come and participate was hard, and we literally had to beg them to participate. But since (former Miss World) Agbani [Darego] won it in 2001, we don't beg anyone anymore."
MBGN focuses mainly on physical beauty unlike Miss Nigeria which is expected to promote inner beauty with a wholesome girl-next-door image – as a result its swimsuit competition was famously scrapped in 2010 but this feature remains popular at MBGN.
Prizes for the winner vary each year, but have always included cash; as of 2012, it stands at N3,000,000, and most winners have received cars.

### Winners

MBGN 1988, Law student Bianca Onoh, was crowned Miss Africa in 1988, won the congeniality prize at Miss Charm 1988 held in Moscow, and won Miss Intercontinental in 1989, Theatre Arts graduate Sabina Umeh was the first Nigerian to win the Personality prize at Miss World 1990, while Toyin Raji was the recipient in 1995 despite withdrawing from the pageant due to political protests. Prior to this, Raji had been named Miss Congeniality at Miss Universe 1995.
At least three MBGN winners have previously competed in Miss Nigeria: Omasan Buwa (1987), Sylvia Nduka (2010), and Isabella Ayuk (2004) Miss Nigeria 2002, Sylvia Edem, was in the top five at MBGN 1998, as were Miss Nigeria 1993, Pharmacy graduate Janet Fateye, who had competed in MBGN 1992 as Kemi Fateye, and Mass Communications student Vien Tetsola who was named the "Millennium Queen" in 2000.
Many MBGN winners have pursued careers in entertainment, including Sabina Umeh, Regina Askia, Emma Komlosy, Celia Bissong, and Munachi Nwankwo. Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu and Omasan Buwa have moved into politics, as has Bianca Onoh who became a presidential adviser, as well as an ambassador and Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UNWTO while Nike Oshinowo has worked in pageantry.

## International crowns

* One Miss World winner: Agbani Darego (2001)
* One Miss Intercontinental winner: Bianca Onoh (1989)
* Two Miss Africa winners:
** Lynda Chuba (1987)
** Bianca Onoh (1989)
* Two Miss ECOWAS winners:
** May Ikeora (2003)
** Joy Ngozika Obasi (2009)
** Zirra Banu (2012)

## Titleholders
### 1986-2005

| Year | MBGN | State / Town Represented |
| 1986 | Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu Miss Africa 1987 | Imo |
| 1987 | Omasan Tokunbo Buwa | Warri |
| 1988 | Regina Imaobong Askia Usoro | Akwa Ibom |
| 1988 | Bianca Odinaka Olivia Onoh Miss Intercontinental 1989 Miss Africa 1989 | Abuja |
| 1990 | Sabina Ifeoma Umeh | Niger |
| 1991 | Adenike Asabi Oshinowo | Rivers |
| 1992 | Sandra Guenefred Petgrave | Akwa Ibom |
| 1993 | Rihole Gbinigie | Edo |
| 1994 | Susan Hart | Lagos |
| 1995 | Toyin Enitan Raji | Kogi |
| 1996 | Emma Aret Patricia Komlosy | Bayelsa |
| 1998 | Chika Lilian Chikezie | Imo |
| 1999 | Angela Ukpoma | Niger |
| 2000 | Matilda Nkechiye Kerry | Rivers |
| 2001 | Anne Titilope Suinner | Abuja |
| 2001 | Ibiagbanidokibubo Asenite Darego Miss World 2001 | Rivers |
| 2002 | Chinenye Ivy Ochuba | Anambra |
| 2003 | Cecilia Ohumotu Bissong | Cross River |
| 2004 | Anita Queen Uwagbele | Edo |
| 2005 | Omowunmi Akinnifesi | Kwara |

### 2006

Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria / MBGN :
| Year | World | State | Universe | State | Tourism | State |
| 2006 | Abiola Bashorun | Lagos | Vanessa Agunbaide | Edo | Alex Tienepre oki | Delta |

### 2007-2019

Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria / MBGN :
| Year | World | State | Universe | State | Tourism | State | ECOWAS | State | Model | State |
| 2007 | Munachi Gail Theresa Nwankwo | Imo | Ebinabo Potts-Johnson | Bayelsa | Sakana Dikko | Plateau | Erica Ekundaye | Edo | Anire Afejuku | Ogun |
| 2008 | Adaeze Stephanie Igwe | Anambra | Stephanie Oforka | Taraba | Ure Obowu | Enugu | Uchechi Ejiogu | Nasarawa | Sandra Idugboe | Edo |
| 2009 | Glory Chukwu | Nasarawa | Sandra Otohwo | Delta | Diana Odiaka | Lagos | Joy Ngozika Obasi | Rivers | Ugochi Ogugbue | Imo |
| 2010 | Afoma Fiona Amuzie | Plateau | Ngozi Odaloni | Niger | Nengi Warikoko | Rivers | Chinenye Obiora | Ekiti | Lynda Dunkwu | Gombe |
| 2011 | Sylvia Nduka | Taraba | Sophie Gemal | Bayelsa | Obioma Isiwu | Enugu | Grace Ndam | Lagos | Jennifer Igwegbe | Gombe |
| 2012 | Isabella Agbor Ojong Ayuk * | Cross River | Damiete Charles-Granville * | River | Ifeoma Umeokeke | Abuja | Okafor Nkechinyere | Osun | Joyce Chidebe | Kaduna |
| 2013 | Anna Ebiere Banner | Bayelsa | Stephanie Okwu | Imo | Powede Lawrence | Adamawa | Enoma Agboniko | Kaduna | Melissa Devidal | Abuja |
| 2014 | Iheoma Amanda Nnadi | Akwa Ibom | Queen Osem Celestine | Edo | Chinyere Adogu | Kwara | Endurance Akpoyiba | Osun | Princess Dennar | Abuja |
| 2015 | Unoaku Temitope Anyadike | Anambra | Debbie Collins | Ebonyi | Chizoba Ejike | Abuja | Chikaodili Nna-Udosen | Bauchi | Cynthia Sapara | Edo |