Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and former beauty queen, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has opened up about her difficult journey to success — revealing how her family rejected her after she entered a beauty pageant.
Speaking during the Nigerian Women’s Day event at the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Bianca shared her inspiring story of resilience and determination.
Bianca, who won the *Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria* title in 1988 at just 20 years old, later clinched the *Miss Africa* crown in 1989 in The Gambia, representing Nigeria on global stages at *Miss World* in Hong Kong and *Miss Universe* in Mexico.
Coming from a prominent family — her father, Christian Chukwuma Onoh (CC Onoh), was a lawyer, businessman, and former governor of old Anambra State — Bianca admitted that her privileged background didn’t shield her from harsh criticism at home.
Reflecting on her journey, she recalled how her passion for travel and curiosity about the world initially led her to beauty pageants.
“I started off really as a young girl wanting to see the world,” she explained. “I remember sitting with other girls in the hostel common room, watching music videos, Miss World, and Miss Universe. I was more fascinated by the exotic locations than anything else. I just wanted to travel, and I figured a beauty pageant was my ticket to explore.”
Her first attempt at a pageant earned her a modeling contract in Tokyo — a prize she had to reject.
“My parents didn’t know. They didn’t send me to school to join pageants,” she said.
When she later won *Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria*, the reaction at home was far from celebratory.
“That win rendered me homeless for a month,” Bianca admitted. “My father was absolutely livid. African fathers back then — they expected you to stay on a straight path. But after I won more titles like *Miss Africa* and *Miss Intercontinental*, he gradually came to terms with it.”
Despite early fame and financial success, Bianca stressed that staying in school was a tough but rewarding decision.
“The biggest temptation when you start making money early is to leave school. I was a Law student, living in a hostel with six others, struggling with no water, nothing. It wasn’t easy going back to class when I was already earning my own money,” she shared. “But it was the best decision I ever made.”
Encouraging young women, Bianca emphasized that education remains a powerful tool for lasting success.
“I think young women need to understand the power of education. Beauty fades, money comes and goes, but education empowers you for life,” she concluded.
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