First Miss Nigeria

Grace Oyelude (First Miss Nigeria 1957)

Born Grace Atinuke Oyelude on November 16, 1931, in Kano, Grace Oyelude was crowned Miss Nigeria making her the first title holder of the pageant in 1957. Her journey to becoming the inaugural Miss Nigeria unfolded when her brother shared her photograph with the pageant organizers at a time when Miss Nigeria was a photo competition. After her reign as Miss Nigeria, Grace Oyelude travelled to the UK and pursued a career in Nursing, which was made possible by the £200 cash prize she won from the competition. At the completion of her studies in London, she returned to Nigeria and worked at Kaduna General Hospital between 1964 and 1965. Grace moved to Maiduguri General Hospital when the Biafran War started. She led a team from the North to provide medical support to casualties of the war.