Anita emerged victorious as the 17th MBGN Queen, succeeding Cecilia Bissong of Cross River.
In 2004, Anita Uwagbale, a 19-year-old second-year Accountancy student at Madonna University, was crowned the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN).
Agbani Darego, the first black African to be crowned Miss World in 2001, was her inspiration.
Anita emerged victorious as the 17th MBGN Queen, succeeding Cecilia Bissong of Cross River.
Her journey extended beyond the MBGN; she also won African Continental Queen of Beauty and reached the top 15 semi-finalists at Miss World 2004.
This feat wasn't just a victory but the fulfilment of a lifelong dream nurtured as the only girl among five brothers.
Nostalgia
Speaking about the perceptions of motherhood and beauty pageants, Anita maintained their distinctiveness and celebrated societal shifts towards acceptance and open-mindedness.
She said her involvement in international pageants broadened her horizons.
The ex-beauty queen also believes the MBGN competition differs significantly from international competitions. "The scale and glamour increase considerably on the international stage, particularly at Miss Universe.
"In my time, I competed in Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Tourism International. Nowadays, each of these competitions has its own set of contestants. I took part in all three. Miss Universe was my initial venture onto the international stage.
"It was a mix of excitement and nervousness to compete against delegates from 70-plus nations. Miss World, on the other hand, was on a larger scale. Representing my country at Miss World felt more comfortable, and I had a delightful experience. Making it to the top 15 globally and earning the title African Queen at Miss World remains a cherished moment," she told PREMIUM TIMES.
According to her, Miss Tourism was a smaller pageant where she earned the first runner-up title. She stated that the pageant held in Ukraine was an unforgettable experience that still feels fresh in her memory.
Reflecting on her 20th anniversary, she told this newspaper that she feels like the same person crowned decades ago.
"I have married, got divorced, had kids, business, and life just happens, but it feels like the other years. Twenty years of MBGN. It's amazing how much time flies. Twenty years sounds like it has been ages, but it's just 20 years ago," she said.
The mother-of-three said her parents did not allow her to engage in pageantry during her secondary school years until she was admitted into university.
Post MBGN
Two decades after she won MBGN, Anita's journey goes beyond pageantry: she is now a successful entrepreneur.
Anita founded a Baby Store in Victoria Island to address the scarcity of quality baby products in Nigeria when she had her first son.
"I was trying to find children and baby items without having to go to the local market, and I found it was so hard to locate them. There were only a few stores that stocked baby items. So that's what inspired me to start the baby store.
"I started it when I had my first son. I wanted to offer a range of clothing, toys, and premium baby items that are easily accessible and affordable, she said.
She said after founding the Baby Store, she was shocked that most parents spend more on their outfits than their children.
Anita said that was an eye-opener in her Baby Store business. "For me, that was quite surprising. I learned you better stay in the middle, and people have different ideas with kids and how long they want to keep those items for."
She added that she relaunched the Baby Store, focusing on educational and interactive toys for children aged zero to ten.
According to her, the business (Baby Store) embraced e-commerce platforms to reach a wider audience and cater to the evolving needs of Nigerian parents.
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Challenges
When asked about the challenges of establishing a business in Nigeria, she said, "Any business owner in Nigeria must prepare their mind to fail if it doesn't work."
She highlighted currency fluctuations, climates, and infrastructure issues, among others, as challenges faced in Nigerian business ventures.
"Everybody is affected. Doing business in Nigeria is challenging. Challenges are everywhere. Regarding my printing press, when the prices are too high, people are supposed to request reflective jackets. I aimed to start 1 million companies but only established 150 or 200.
"For my nutrition venture, it was a different experience. It's easy for people to say they want to look a certain way, but when it's time to put in the work, they don't want to. It was quite disappointing because we know how we want to be."
Her business ventures include a printing company, a luxury hamper company and roles as a nutritionist and weight loss coach.
