My Reign As MBGN   

Published on May 24, 2010 by fari   ·   No Comments

Sandra Otohwo, a Theatre Arts undergraduate, became the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, MBGN, Universe last year. In this interview with NEHRU ODEH, the Delta State-born beauty queen speaks about her

reign as the MBGN Universe, her studies and the 2009 Miss Universe competition, which held in the Bahamas

How has it been since you became the MBGN Universe?
It has been an amazing experience. I met new people. I am a better person. I am a stronger woman and I have learnt to believe in myself. So, I would say it has been a great experience.

Growing up, did you envisage you would attain this height?
I had dreams when I was growing up. But as I grew older, I just found my calling in life. Then the opportunity came for me to represent Delta State in the MBGN pageant. And it just happened. I wouldn’t say I had that dream right from when I was young. I wasn’t one of those people who thought they would be Miss Nigeria. But it just came and it happened for me.

Since you became a beauty queen, your life has changed. Hasn’t it?
It has.

How has your new status impacted on you?
When you get that kind of exposure to represent your country internationally, and you meet people of different racial background and cultures, it will definitely open your eyes; you will learn new things. And there is no way you can be the same person because you’ll eventually become exposed. You’ll know a little bit about everything and you’re just a better person as far as knowledge is concerned and knowledge is power. So I’ve learnt a lot since last year and I’m a better person because I am an MBGN and that has changed my life.

Has the way you relate with your friends or the way your friends relate with you changed?
I’ve been a very very outgoing person. I am funny, I can make a noise and I have always been like that since I was a child. My new status hasn’t changed who I am. It has only helped me to relate with people better. Now I understand people better. I have learnt not to judge anybody and my friends understand who I am as well. It didn’t really change me much, especially not negatively. I won’t say it has changed the way I relate with my friends; it just helped me to understand human beings better.

Is the way you comport yourself now different from the way you used to?
I think as you grow older everyday, you just see yourself in a different light. I have come to believe in myself, I have come to understand that I am not just an ordinary girl. So, yes, it has affected the way I see myself. I see myself as someone with more value, someone with more abilities, someone who can do so much more. So I don’t see myself as any other girl. I know that there is something special about me. I have that at the back of my mind that everything I have to do has to be really special because I’m not just ordinary. Not any more.

How have you combined your studies with your reign as a beauty queen?
Studying has taught me management. I’ve learnt how to manage my time. I’ve learnt how to balance my priorities. I know what is most important and I would always say it. You reign for just one year and after that, may be you can still remain popular. But whatever you get out of school stays with you. So, I know that being a beauty queen is important, but school is more important. And luckily for me, the Silverbird Group, as an organisation, understands this. So they let me do school things– they let me study, they let me read, they let me go to school. And when I had to perform important queenly duties, my school also stand for that, I have to go. So, I have the support of my school and the support of my organisation. And it hasn’t really been much stress. Though it has been stressful, I have been able to cope because I understand time management.

What projects have you embarked on as a beauty queen?
Most importantly, we have this breast cancer awareness programme because that was like the most important thing for us to do at that time. There was really a need for us to sensitise and make people aware of the scourge that is gradually destroying women. We needed a lot of promotion on the breast cancer awareness. And I represented my country internationally. Then, I do my own thing here and there. But I believe that the most impact you make is if you put a smile on someone’s face everyday. And so far, I have tried to do that. I just hope that someone has to pick somebody randomly and put a smile on that person’s face, which would go a long way. When somebody is happy, definitely every person around the person will be infected by the happiness.

My reign is about to end. I am going to crown a successor soon. So, everything is just going around and ending gradually for me. But it doesn’t change who I am. A queen is always a queen.

How did you get involved in the MBGN beauty pageant?

MBGN is the most popular beauty pageant in the country. If any girl wants to be a model, sometimes, she actually considers going for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant. But before that, I had actually won the Miss Delta crown. I am from Delta State. And it was just paramount for me to represent my state in the national pageant. I went for the screening; I went into camp and I did my best.

You were at the Miss Universe beauty pageant. What was your experience like?
It was an eye-opening experience. I am sure it was more of a spiritual experience because we had the competition in the Bahamas and we were taken around on a tour. I actually saw some places where they used to keep the blacks when they brought them from Africa. We went toured a lot and I met a lot of people. But more importantly, I met women who taught me that the most important thing in life is not what you become, but how many lives you can touch before you leave this world. It was a great experience for me and it was an experience I would never forget.

What kind of music do you love listening to?
I like the songs that are in Nigerian languages. I like Yoruba songs. I like traditional folk songs, maybe because of what I study. Traditional folksongs tell a lot of stories; you can sing them for children and they understand a story from any song you sing to them.

Who are your favourite Nigerian musicians?
There is this upcoming artiste. His name is Ari. I have heard some of his songs. I love his song. Maybe some of Tuface’s songs. Then Asa. But Ari, right now, is my favourite artiste.

Who are your favourite designers?
I like Momo Couture. I like Frank Osodi.

What is your beauty regimen like?
I wake up in the morning, wash my face, take my bath and clean my skin. I hardly wear make-up during the day. But if I have any serious event to attend, I probably go to a spa. I have a simple beauty routine. I know that I have to drink a lot of water, take a lot of fruits to keep a healthy glow. But aside that, I really don’t have a concrete serious beauty routine that I have to follow everyday. I just keep my skin clean and healthy.

What do you wear on a normal day?
I think I am a serious Jeans person. I wear a lot of Jeans. I am sure if you see me on a normal day, you will hardly recognise me because I am always in jeans and wear really big T-shirt. I’m just a simple person.

When you were going into the beauty pageant, what difficulties did you face?
A lot of challenges. There were psychological challenges as well as financial challenges. You have a budget, your money is not up to your plan, so you have to forego some things. Then you have to do this and that. The psychological stress might have been like I don’t know if others are going to be better than me. But eventually I put everything behind me and I just did my best.

Were your parents against your decision to compete in the beauty pageant?
My mum was my biggest fan. I lost my dad when I was 13 years old. But my mum gave me all the support that I needed. She used to call me anytime she saw me on TV. She kept all my newspaper reports and voted for me when I had to be voted for. She would call me and pray for me. Yes, my mum was in full support; my family was in full support. And they supported me all the way.

What kind of movies do you like watching?
I like to watch Nigerian movies, but I end up doing a lot of criticising because I have been trained to criticise. I like Indian movies because they are very, very cultural. No matter what they do, they never forget to add that spice of India. You just see the rich culture in every Indian movie. Let’s say I’m a love person. I like to watch love movies; movies that would make you cry. I am concerned about how romantic they eventually ended and they are happy ever after. I also like to watch cartoons.

You are a Theatre Arts student. How did your discipline impact your modelling career?
Theatre Arts teaches you how to be strong. It teaches you never to take no for an answer. It teaches you to understand that no matter what you do, you have to come out the best always. And that you can never hide; there are no small roles, only small actors. So in everything I have done, I have just come to understand that there is no way I can settle for anything less than the best because my lecturers will never take anything less than the best; they are always serious critics. So over time, I have also learnt how to criticise things. And the things I know I criticise, I would never do. I think things just fell into place. I just kept doing everything right. But Theatre Arts teaches you to question a lot of things. And when you question a lot of things, you will always strive towards perfection. That has helped me a lot.