Stephanie Oforka, the current Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (Universe) is just 19. But even at this age, the Geology undergraduate of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri knows what she wants in life.
Studying a course many people would describe as ‘serious’, not many would expect Stephanie to leave her studies to partake in beauty pageant.
Studying a course many people would describe as ‘serious’, not many would expect Stephanie to leave her studies to partake in beauty pageant.
Indeed, she told Spectacles that her participation in the contest was more of an accident.
“I didn’t plan to go into a beauty pageant, it just happened by chance,” she said. “A friend of mine said I could do it and she encouraged me to go in for the MBGN. That was how it happened. I never imagined going into it in the fist place.”
But she got into it and was lucky to pass all the screening exercises before the event. But then, she did not win the contest. Rather, she emerged the first runner up. But she said she was not disappointed coming second.
“I didn’t plan to go into a beauty pageant, it just happened by chance,” she said. “A friend of mine said I could do it and she encouraged me to go in for the MBGN. That was how it happened. I never imagined going into it in the fist place.”
But she got into it and was lucky to pass all the screening exercises before the event. But then, she did not win the contest. Rather, she emerged the first runner up. But she said she was not disappointed coming second.
“I believe that God has a plan for everyone. Everybody said they thought I would win on that night. But I didn’t believe in myself that much, so I considered coming that far a blessing. I was happy to be on the stage as one of the two people left after the other girls had been screened out and some were named as winners of the MBGN Tourism, MBGN Model and Miss La Casera. When we got there, I knew there were five crowns to be won so I prayed that I would win one. It doesn’t matter to me that I won the MBGN Universe, because we are all queens in different ways and areas.”
Although Stephanie was highly favoured by the crowd to win the contest, many believe she didn’t win the overall prize because she didn’t wear a smiling face.
To that, she said, “That pageant was my fist time ever on a stage. I am 19 years. I was nervous and shy. It wasn’t because I was not happy that I didn’t smile, it was because I was so nervous.
To that, she said, “That pageant was my fist time ever on a stage. I am 19 years. I was nervous and shy. It wasn’t because I was not happy that I didn’t smile, it was because I was so nervous.
On a normal day, I laugh and smile. On stage, it is different because I was in front of many people and I had never done that before. I was scared, that was why I didn’t smile.”
Now that she has become a queen, Stephanie now smiles a lot. “After the competition, we went through a learning process and I learnt how to feel free. I was a very shy person; I didn’t know how to talk to people. And if I saw a camera before me, I ran away. But now I am bolder and can smile in front of people.”
Now that she has become a queen, Stephanie now smiles a lot. “After the competition, we went through a learning process and I learnt how to feel free. I was a very shy person; I didn’t know how to talk to people. And if I saw a camera before me, I ran away. But now I am bolder and can smile in front of people.”
Her selection as the MBGN (universe) gave her the ticket to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe contest held in Vietnam. Unfortunately, Stephanie did not make the first ten, let alone winning the crown.Still, she said she was not disappointed, describing the experience as awesome. With it, she has learnt to accommodate people and make friends.
“ What I had learnt worked out, because I was able to involve myself in discussion with people I had never met before. It helped me because I made a lot of friends, which I wouldn’t on a normal day. People think I’m very arrogant and rude, but it’s because I am shy and I use that to cover my shyness. I could just sit at a place quietly and if asked a question I could decide not to answer, and people will conclude that I am rude.”
“ What I had learnt worked out, because I was able to involve myself in discussion with people I had never met before. It helped me because I made a lot of friends, which I wouldn’t on a normal day. People think I’m very arrogant and rude, but it’s because I am shy and I use that to cover my shyness. I could just sit at a place quietly and if asked a question I could decide not to answer, and people will conclude that I am rude.”
On what could have made the judges not to notice her at the international pageant, Stephanie said, “We were more than 100 gorgeous and beautiful women, so I’m sure it was difficult for the judges, because even most of the people they called were not those we expected. The first 15 people that were called were people you wouldn’t notice on a normal day. But the judges have their reasons for picking the girls they picked or maybe it has to go around the world. I don’t really know how they did it.”
Now that she is a beauty queen, Stephanie says her lifestyle has not changed in anyway. She even intends to go back to school after her industrial training, which she is currently engaged in. “I am not a different person. I will be able to relate to everybody like I used to do before. I am a queen, yes, but a queen is not supposed to be arrogant, she should be humble.”
Talking about growing up, Stephanie said she was an only child who never even knew that people had siblings until she got into a secondary school. “I grew up in Port Harcourt. It was fun. I am an only child, so I have always had everything to myself. I have had the best of life. I don’t know what it feels like to have a younger one. I thought everyone was an only child until I got to school and saw my friends with their sisters or brothers. But for me, I have been alone all my life.
But being an only child didn’t make her parents spoil her, “because my dad is a professor and he is very strict. I was closer to my dad at first, and I was sleeping in his room, until I was 15 years. I never slept in my room alone because I was always very scared. Now, I think I’m closer to my mum because she is like my best friend now.”
One would have expected her dad to get married to another woman in order to have more children but Stephanie said her father never had such a mentality.
“My dad is Igbo, but he is not into this culture thing. He was abroad for a long time and only came back to lecture at the University of Port Harcourt. I have been to my village in Nnewi South only once, and that was when he was given a chieftaincy title.”
It is very rare for a reigning beauty queen in Nigeria to admit that she has a boyfriend. Stephanie, of course, said she didn’t have one. “I don’t have a boyfriend, really, because I am an only child. My father used to lock me up in the house. I grew up on the University of Port Harcourt campus and he was scared of campus boys. I never went to parties, because I was always locked up. It was when I got to the university that I knew what party and clubbing was. So, I didn’t really have the chance to have a boyfriend. And now as the MBGN Universe, I am not allowed to have one. Maybe I would have wanted one, but then, that is not my priority now.”
Since boyfriend is not her priority, marriage is not on her to-do list for now.
“My dad is Igbo, but he is not into this culture thing. He was abroad for a long time and only came back to lecture at the University of Port Harcourt. I have been to my village in Nnewi South only once, and that was when he was given a chieftaincy title.”
It is very rare for a reigning beauty queen in Nigeria to admit that she has a boyfriend. Stephanie, of course, said she didn’t have one. “I don’t have a boyfriend, really, because I am an only child. My father used to lock me up in the house. I grew up on the University of Port Harcourt campus and he was scared of campus boys. I never went to parties, because I was always locked up. It was when I got to the university that I knew what party and clubbing was. So, I didn’t really have the chance to have a boyfriend. And now as the MBGN Universe, I am not allowed to have one. Maybe I would have wanted one, but then, that is not my priority now.”
Since boyfriend is not her priority, marriage is not on her to-do list for now.
“ I want to finish school next year. By then I will be 20. Then I will do my master’s before thinking about marriage. I will get married at 21. I want to have my kids early. I am matured now than some 19 year-olds. I’ve seen it all and I don’t think there is anything out there for which I should remain single. I want to grow up with my kids. At the right time, the man will come. My greatest wish is to get married and start my own family in the next two years.”
Stephanie has already mapped out what she intends to do as soon as she drops the crown.
“After my reign, I will get done with school and later start a talk show to help people that are not bold, just like I was.”
Stephanie has already mapped out what she intends to do as soon as she drops the crown.
“After my reign, I will get done with school and later start a talk show to help people that are not bold, just like I was.”
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