Miss Universe Nigeria

Miss Universe Nigeria - abbreviated as MUN - is a national beauty pageant in Nigeria to select a Miss Universe delegate. 2023 marked a revival of the original contest organised by Silverbird Productions, Nigeria's Miss Universe franchise holder since 1983. The winner automatically becomes Nigeria's Miss Universe delegate, while the 1st runner-up is the Miss Supranational representative. Although Hannah Iribhogbe occasionally used the Miss Nigeria Universe title during her reign before crowning her successor, she had actually competed in MBGN 2022.

The current titleholder is former MBGN winner Ugochi Ihezue who represented Imo, and is the first winner since Omololu Ojehomon in 1983.

History[edit]

Daily Times - MBGN's rival pageant Miss Nigeria organisers - originally owned the country's rights to Miss Universe, but ceased to send winners after their only representative Edna Park's onstage ruckus at the semi-final.^[1] In 1983, following heavy publicity,^[2][3] Omololu Ojehomon won the 1984 edition of the newly established "Miss Universe Nigeria" competition, but this maiden edition was considered a failure as Ojehomon was ultimately dethroned before she could compete abroad.^[4] Fashion model Yemi Fawaz, who placed third, described the contest as "highly controversial" owing to the selection of two contestants as second-place winners, and lambasted the judges' bias against mixed-race delegates. She also criticised Silverbird for ignoring contestants who had competed in the organisation's first-ever pageant.^[5]

Three years later, Silverbird president Ben Murray-Bruce relaunched the pageant as Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, with Law student Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu winning the contest and becoming the country's first Miss Universe representative in 23 years.^[6] MBGN soon acquired more franchises including Miss World, Miss International, and later Miss Supranational, with MBGN titleholders automatically became representatives. Computer Science and Mathematics student Agbani Darego – who would later win Miss World – became the first Nigerian to place at Miss Universe in 2001.^[7]

In 2005, Silverbird created different titles for MBGN runners-up, including MBGN Universe, while MBGN's overall winner was renamed "MBGN World" and sent to Miss World only. Human Science student Roseline Amusu became the first MBGN Universe, but Nigeria failed to place until 2019 when Health and Human Services student Olutosin Araromi reached the Miss Universe top 20 after an 18-year drought.^[8]

In 2023, Silverbird revived Miss Universe Nigeria, with Murray-Bruce's brother, Guy, stating that owing to Miss Universe's evolving criteria, MUN would take on a new format from MBGN, making them two entirely different entities. Unlike the latter pageant which focused on mostly Westernised beauty standards, MUN is all-inclusive, irrespective of marital status, body type, shade, height or weight.^{[9] [10]}

In 2023, MBGN 2017 Ugochi Ihezue became the first woman to win two Silverbird-organised pageants since Bianca Onoh (MBGN and Miss Intercontinental) in 1989.

Titleholders[edit]

Original edition[edit]

Revival edition[edit]

Miss Supranational Nigeria[edit]

Miss Universe Nigeria under MBGN[edit]

From 2005, MBGN runners-up competed at Miss Universe. In 2023, MBGN Universe was replaced with Miss Universe Nigeria, breaking ties with MBGN.

Notable contestants[edit]

• Nyekachi Esther Douglas, MBGN 2019 (2023)
• Florence Ibiyemi Fawaz, model (1984)

See also[edit]

• MBGN
• Miss Nigeria
• Mr Nigeria

References[edit]