Photo: Sun News Publishing

Showpiece Index

Nigerians are a force to reckon with in all fields of human endeavour regardless of what anyone may think. Since the Miss World beauty pageant was established a few years ago, no black woman has ever won it until Agbani Darego, a Nigerian beauty broke the jinx.

Now history is repeating itself as 19-year-old Onome Aberare hoisted the Nigerian flag in far away Manila, Philippines and beat Miss Bahamas, USA, Hawaii and Porto Rico to win Miss Young International.

Out of the 53 delegates on the Internet and 35 in camp, the beautiful graduate of Economics from University of Lagos, got 34,810 on-line votes, which automatically qualified her to win the Miss Young International. She was closely followed by Miss Bahamas, who got 34,600.

Not new to pageantry, Onome’s experience dates back to 2006 when she stood shoulder high in the third edition of Miss Teen Nigeria, before winning the crown in 2007. She went ahead to win Miss Elegant and Miss Press Princess respectively in Taipei, Taiwan, and now Miss Young International.
Talking about her experiences and challenges, Onome said thus: “I didn’t inform anybody about the voting on-line, and 400 votes cost $100. I was surprised to hear my name as Miss Internet World beating Miss Bahamas. The experience was breathtaking and I am happy to have scaled through. Nothing pleases me more than seeing the faces of young children and the underprivileged people light up with the happiness that I have brought.”

Delta State-born Onome whose reign began this year is working assiduously towards starting her NGO, Hear Our Voice, strictly for young people all over the world. She was inspired at the tender age of 11 after reading a book about past heroes, and since then has been trying to help her peers realize the greatness they have within them.

While thanking her parents for being there for her, the Goodwill Ambassador says she would need a man in her life, a man that would share in her dreams. But this should be after her reign. All hail the new queen!