On Friday night, Shatu Garko made history by becoming the first hijab-wearing model to win the Miss Nigeria contest. A Kano State native, Miss Garko was also the year's youngest contender.
The 18-year-old horse rider triumphed over 18 other hopefuls to be crowned Miss Nigeria 44. On Friday night, the event took place at the Landmark Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.


Miss Nigeria 2021 competed on behalf of the North-West zone. The contest's first runner-up was Nicole Ikot, while the second runner-up was Kasarachi Okoro. At the colourful event, the outgoing queen, Etsanyi Tukura of Taraba State, gave the crown to her successor.

What are the Rewards for Miss Nigeria?

N10 million, a one-year luxury apartment residence, a new automobile, and other mouthwatering brand ambassadorship chances were awarded to the new queen Nigeria. In the words of the pageant's promoters, the annual event exhibits the best in Nigerian women.

Is this the 44th time it has been held?

Yes, this is the 44th  edition of the program, a large number of people applied for the position. The field was whittled down to 37 competitors, with three wildcard semi-finalists remaining.

At that point, the public had a say in the selection process for the Miss Nigeria Bootcamp's 21 participants, which has now been further reduced to the top 18 finalists who will compete in the final," said Chioma Nwigwe, the Manager of the Miss Nigeria organization.

On stage, Queen Letizia declared her belief in the power of pursuing one's aspirations regardless of one's faith or cultural background. She also vowed to respect the Miss Nigeria pageant's core values.

Miss Nigeria selection Process

It has been announced that the 18 finalists for Miss Nigeria will compete for the title at the KIA Showroom, Victoria Island, on December 7.

Over 1,000 women applied for the show, but only 120 were selected for a physical audition in Lagos, where a final 37 contestants remained, including three wild cards. The number of participants was subsequently reduced to 21 and then to 18.

According to Folio Media Group Founder Fidelis Anosike, Miss Nigeria 2021 Organizer's objective was to establish national empowerment and a role model for the female child.

According to the creative director of Miss Nigeria, Ezinne Akudo, the competition this year was extremely difficult because of the large number of entrants.