Grace Atinuke Oyelude, the first-ever winner of Miss Nigeria beauty pageant celebrated her 90th birthday on 16th November 2021.
Oyelude who was born in 1931 in Kano was crowned Miss Nigeria in 1957 after contesting with over 200 other Nigerian ladies.
She was working at UAC when she represented the then Northern region. In an interview with Lagos Lately said she competed putting on her mother’s Aso Oke.
In the past, she revealed that she became Miss Nigeria by accident. Her brother who was a broadcaster saw the advertisements for the pageant in the papers and entered her for the competition without her knowledge in Lagos even though she was still residing in Kano.
After she won the pageant, which came with 200 Pounds prize money and a return ticket to London for two weeks, she gained admission into the school of nursing, Ashford Kent, England, and became a state registered nurse in 1961.
She enrolled at the school of midwifery, St. Thomas Hospital, London, where she qualified as a state registered midwife SCM in 1962.
She also attended the Royal College of Nursing, England in 1971 and obtained a Diploma in Nursing and Hospital Administration, and in 1976, obtained another diploma from Ghana Institute of Management and Personnel Administration.
Miss Nigeria organizers celebrated her on their official Instagram account.
Miss Nigeria commenced in 1957 as a photo contest. Contestants posted photographs of themselves to the Daily Times headquarters in Lagos where finalists were shortlisted.
Successful finalists were afterward invited to compete in the live final at the Lagos Island Club. At that time, the Miss Nigeria contest did not include a swimsuit competition.