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Ex-beauty queen, Oluwadamilola Agbajor speaks on life after the crown

Ex-beauty queen, Oluwadamilola Eyituoyo Agbajor is now living like every other lady, as she now copes with the task of being a regular student of Mass Communication in the University of Lagos.

The damsel, in an exclusive interview with ENCOMIUM Weekly, spoke of life after her reign as Miss Nigeria 2010 and the benefits of being an ex-beauty queen.

 

How will you describe life as an ex-beauty queen?

Life as an ex-beauty queen is very interesting.  It’s an entirely different ball game from that of a reigning queen.  It’s quite challenging, as I have to make certain decisions that I didn’t have to make on my own before.  At the same time, it’s fun.  I have my life back and I can do almost anything I want which I couldn’t do before.  It’s calm.  I really don’t have to make appearances at events as a reigning queen.  Now, I am back to school and back to normal life.

What will you say you miss about the crown?

I miss the responsibility, hard work, the buzz and attention that come with the crown.  I miss being pampered and looked after by the Miss Nigeria office, the Miss Nigeria team, Chief Mrs. Nike Oshinowo-Soleye, Ms. Ocheja, Wunika Mukan, Bukky and Daniella and most especially my chaperon, Nikki Adebimpe.  They were my mothers and aunts and I miss them.  I also miss travelling with the team, visiting places and attending occasions with them.

What has been keeping you busy?

I’ve been very busy with school, studying hard to graduate with good grades.

Looking back at the period of your reign, what will you say you achieved?

I tried to do a lot in the little space of one year.  I worked with different organizations as well as the federal government.  I worked with Affordable Medicines Facility for Malaria (AMFM) as an ambassador.  I helped educate people on the Artemisinin-based combination therapy which was the cheap and effective malaria drug that the World Health Organisation (WHO) was trying to make accessible to people.  This was quite challenging as I had to get familiar with medical terms and learn how the body system works and reacts to drugs.  This was a major achievement for me.  I am happy that I was able to save lies and also tried to eradicate malaria from Nigeria.

I worked with Global Fund, WHO, Society for Family Health (SFH) among others.  Through this medium, I was able to attend events that gave me the opportunity to meet prestigious Nigerians like Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan and many others.

Can you refresh our memory about your most cherished experience during your reign?

I have many experiences that would remain evergreen in my memory, but one of them is visiting my dream holiday destination, Hawaii.  I had a great time there for five days and I loved every minute I spent there.  I was warmly received at the Waikotoa Beach Resort by the staff and they took very good care of me.  I will never forget that.

Will you say being an ex-queen is still opening doors for you?

Yes, I can safely say being an ex-beauty queen still opens doors for me.  I still get a lot of attention and now I get different offers to do one thing or the other every now and then.

Who is your favourite queen of all time?

Agbani Darego is still my all-time favourite and I have Oluafeyijimi Sodipo also.  She is a very sweet and intelligent young lady and has a very bright future.

What is your take on beauty pageants, there are a lot of them nowadays?

I can’t have a take on beauty pageants. I have only entered for one and that is the Miss Nigeria 2010.  Although I hear about pageants and I don’t know how genuine they are, so I will advice many ladies that want to enter into one pageant or the other to be very careful and really find out how genuine it is before getting in.

What are you giving back to the industry that crowned you about two years ago?

In terms of giving back, I handed over the crown two months ago.  I am just finding my feet and making decisions as regards what to do next.  But the Miss Nigeria team asked me to always count on them if the need arises.  Miss Nigeria has groomed me and I have a lot to be grateful for.

What will happen to your academics?

I am presently a 300 level student of the University of Lagos, studying Mass Communication, working very hard to graduate with good grades by God’s grace.

What has changed about you now that you have dropped the crown?

I won’t say a lot has changed about me because the Miss Nigeria crown taught me things that are good for me and I am not supposed to drop them.  I learnt how to smile a lot.

Kindly give us your names and background.

My name is Oluwadamilola Eyituoyo Agbajor.  I am from Ishekiri, Delta State.  I live in Lagos. I grew up as an only child but with a large extended family.  I am a 300 level student of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos.

  • This story was first published in ENCOMIUM Weekly on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
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