By Jemi EKUNKUNBOR

In the 90’s these two women were hot cakes as they reigned both as Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and Miss Nigeria respectively. While Nike Oshinowo-Soleye was Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Binta Sunkai emerged as a shining northern star to be crowned Miss Nigeria. That was 20 years ago. It was such a joy recently to find these two beauties in one room at a media parley to announce the return of Nigeria’s earliest beauty pageant, Miss Nigeria.

Both queens took time out to relieve memories of their reign as queens.

Nike Oshinowo-Soleye MBGN (1990-1991)

I consider it a privilege and an honour for me to have a chance to run miss Nigeria pageant and make it what I would have wanted out of my reign. That is why i believe that i am in such unique position to be able to do that I know what I went through the year that I was queen. The year i became queen, there was no Miss Nigeria. So, in effect, I became a defacto national beauty queen. But you know, I put down a wish list of things I wished would have been done for me. So I now have the opportunity to do that to make some young lady’s dream truly come true because there are a million ways you can make a dream come true.

Binta Sunkai

It was different. I knew nothing about pageantry when I contested. So it was like a new window of life that was opened up to me. Good experience but I think I’m actually enjoying the good experiences now. Because the name has been opening doors for me now. Way back when I won, it didn’t really mean anything for me per se. It was something that I took for granted, but its now that I’m actually reaping its reward and I’m happy.

Its been so long since I won that the memory is fading now. But when I won, I didn’t think it was fun. It was interesting contesting. Life after that was not so much fun it wasn’t so much fun, because you had to give up your life so to speak. Certain things I took for granted, like clubbing, I wasn’t allowed to do as Miss Nigeria because I became a role model for young ladies. So I definitely needed to tame my behaviour somewhat.