analyzing beauty pageants
Photo: REUTERS/Juda Ngwenya
“Black is beautiful’, she beamed to the reporters after the victory. Revellers in her home country couldn’t agree more. Her victory instantly swept the country bringing pride to her Western African nation wrecked by mismanagement in part of the government for years.
Supporting in her endeavours are her dad and her maternal grandmother. It is sad to note that Agbani’s mother had already passed away. The story of Agbani is something that is quite unique. She started it all when she tried to pursue modelling and was eventually chosen to represent her country at the “Face of Africa” contest. She won and proceeded on by participating in the “Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria” contest. She finished as a runner-up.
Then a scandal that rocked the Nigerian showbiz world came in. The supposed winner Valerie Ama Peterside was stripped with her title because she lied about her age and her educational attainment. So here comes Agbani Darego. She was tasked to fill in the vacant position and represented Nigeria at the Miss Universe Pageant. Exuding grace and unique beauty, Agbani wowed everyone and eventually won the hearts of many observers. When the finals night came in she was one of the ten finalists. Such feat was almost an equivalent of winning the title because Nigeria had never seen her ladies reaching this far. The closest was Mary Bienoseh where she finished as part of the top ten in Miss World 1987. Toyin Raji is far the closests at Miss Universe when she finished on the 11th spot at Miss Universe 1995. Toyin also represented Nigeria at Miss World where she was a favourite and earned the Miss Congeniality award. She didn’t see the finals night however as organizers decided to expel her from the pageant in a protest against the execution of minority rights activists by the Nigerian ruling regime.
Photos: Miss Universe L.P. LLP/REUTERS/Juda Ngwenya
Age: 18
Height: 6'
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Agbani is currently studying to become a computer scientist at the
university of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.
Her godmother, Dr. Bolere Ketebu, is the first Nigerian National Vice President of the National Council of Women Societies.
With a very elegant lime green dress, her towering figure is a huge plus. The gown she used is a far better choice than what she used at Miss Universe (being black, using the red gown is somehow a faux pas). She also used a two piece during the U-Decide program revealing a figure that she kept at Miss Universe where is used a one-piece suit. It is also here at Miss World that we spotted her out as a brilliant woman. In her interviews she clearly told the world that she is a Christian and stressed after the finals that she is “a born-again” Christian. At the top five, her answers may be slightly off to the gist of the question but her compassion for the underprevileged is what the judges are looking for.
Agbani is what Nigeria needs ---a woman that could momentarily take away every Nigerian from their daily worries. In her home city of Port Hartcourt in the Rivers State, people welcomed her victory with street dancing as motorists blared their horns. She will reign for a year doing charitable works, a thing that Nigeria also need.
After making history, Agabani's father whom she called as her hero should be proud of her. The rest of Nigeria couldn't resist but to follow.
