Agbani Darego, Official face of new N50 Nigeria postal stamp

The Ex – Miss World, shared this photo on her Instagram page yesterday. Her face is on the new Nigeria’s N50 postal stamps.

agbani

In 2001, Darego was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. (Contrary to popular belief, Darego did not replace Valerie Peterside after the latter was dethroned, as she had won Miss Nigeria). A few months later she was a contestant at Miss Universe, and became the first Nigerian to place among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh overall. She was the only Black semi-finalist that year, and the only one to wear a maillot as opposed to the more popular bikini during the swimsuit competition.

In November that year, she became the first native Sub-Saharan African to claim the Miss World title (Although past winners such as Penelope Coelen and Anneline Kriel are South African, they are of European descent, and Antigone Costanda, who represented Egypt in 1954 is of Greek heritage). Darego’s victory was widely welcomed in her home country, and her one year tenure included goodwill trips and scheduled appearances on behalf of the pageant, and a national honour of OON.

 

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