Beauty pageants started in Nigeria many years back, notably in the early 1950s.
It was Daily Times Newspaper that introduced pageantry in Nigeria with the Miss Nigeria initiative, and thus owned the franchise.
The first Miss Nigeria contest was won by Grace Atinuke in 1957.
It started as a photo contest in 1957.
All Contestants were asked to send their photographs to the Daily Times headquarters in Lagos where finalists were shortlisted.
The few successful candidates were invited to compete in the live finals which at that time did not include the swimsuit sequence at the Lagos Island Club.
However, the latest in the series of such beauty contests in the country took place barely a fortnight ago in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Contesters at the event, organized by Gothan City Network under the umbrella of Silverstone Communications, were young educated girls, including a daughter of His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo, Princess Aminat Adedoja Adeyemi.
At the end of the keenly contested competition held at Jogor centre in Ibadan, Princess Adeyemi emerged the winner as Miss Oyo State Beauty Pageant.
The pretty Princess, a graduate of History and International Relations from the Osun State University, and currently a Post-graduate student at the University of Lagos, was rewarded with the star prize – a brand new Toyota Camry car.
The amiable beauty queen and other contestants recently paid a courtesy call on the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, CFR, in his palace.
In his address, the referred monarch lauded the contestants for their boldness and courage in participating in the pageant inspite of the misconceptions associated with beauty contests in the country.
He also commended the organizers, panel of judges, the donor of a brand new car given to the winner as star prize, Engineer Dotun Sanusi, and the proprietor of Ilaji Resorts located in Ibadan, as well as the winner’s mentor, Princess Folasade Adeyemi, for their effort and commitment.
The brand new car was later blessed by His Royal Majesty.
In attendance at the short event were some senior wives of the monarch, Ayaba Habibat, Ayaba Sulat and Ayaba Mujidat.
In an interview with journalists, Princess Adedoja Adeyemi, who hinted her emergence as the winner had nothing to do with her father’s influence
said, ‘’I went for the contest out of my own volition. In fact, my father [the ALAAFIN was not even aware that I participated. Neither did I show up myself as a princess. I contested because I love challenges and my motivating force was Princess Folasade Adeyemi who encouraged and stood by me. I thank God almighty and my father for the solid upbringing given to all his children. He [Alaafin] always tells us that there is dignity in labour and that we should not wear the toga of pride and arrogance anywhere we find ourselves because we have blue blood in our veins’’.
