Few weeks ago, I asked myself why I haven't been hearing about MBGN ,(Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria)  pageant, and I decided to check out what our ex beauty queens have been up to .


Beauty usually fades with age as they say, but these ladies have proven that statement wrong. These previous beauty queens are still beauty queens today as they have managed to keep in shape despite the ageing process.


1. Agbani Darego
Oh yeah! You cannot talk about MBGN pageants and not mention Agbani. She was born on the 22nd of December 1982. She's from Abonnema, in Rivers State, Nigeria. She won the MBGN in 2001 and went as far as winning miss world pageant that same year, making her the first black woman to win that title.

Agbani is among the highest paid supermodels in Nigeria. Her net worth is estimated at $3.7million. She has a national honour of member of the order of the Federal Republic (MFR). She opened her clothing line in 2013, AD by Agbani Darego in Lagos.

2. Nike Oshinowo
She won the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1991. Gosh she's still very hot. She featured in a commercial for Venus cosmetics and hosted fashion and beauty on Nigerian television. She's very smart, successful and pretty too. She is fluent in 5 languages including Japanese and French.

3. Chineye Ochuba
Chineye won the Most Beautiful girl in Nigeria in 2002. She contested for Miss Universe and Miss world where she was a top ten finalist, as well as the African Continental Queen of Beauty. She's no doubt an ever reigning beauty queen because 17 years after she won the MBGN crown, she can still apply to contest and win again.

4. Sylvia Nduka
She won the prestigious title in 2011 as an undergraduate of Accountancy from the University of Lagos. Since then, this beauty with brains has become a world class entrepreneur. She's currently the owner of Sylvia's Hair Gallery in Lagos.

You might be wondering, " is there any thing like a bad compliment? ". Well, there is.
Some people see you approaching them and the first few words that come from their mouth can be very demoralising. For instance, How can you see a friend coming and you go, " You're getting fat, what are you eating? , You're now dark, why? Are you Ok? .These kind of questions can give a person low self esteem. Some may say these questions come from a concerned heart but not everybody see it that way, especially ladies.

I was able to gather a few bad compliments people give, not considering the fact that they might be offensive and just plain mockery.

1. You're so beautiful, why are you still single? 
This is the bomb! This is one of the questions ladies of marriageable age don't want to hear, so don't go around throwing it in their faces. The person may just smile or laugh but trust me, you don't know the pain behind that laughter. If you want to compliment someone's beauty, simply say " you're beautiful ". That's it. And if you want to talk about marriage, just say " your husband will be a lucky man ". This way, no one is hurt.
We have to realise that people are moving around with one issue or the other and we should not add to it.


2 . You're pretty when you smile
This one looks very harmless right? But I tell you, it's a bad compliment. The person may get offended and say, " What do you mean by that? That am ugly when am not smiling? " . This one should not even be told to ladies that have a very bad temper, otherwise,you may regret it. The best thing to say here is, " you have a really nice smile " or " I love your smile", simple and short.


3. You're prettier in your pictures, which app do you use to edit them?
This statement is just an insult. How can you say this to someone, it simply means the person is ugly. You may look at it that, "but I didn't say she's ugly", no you didn't, but that's what she heard. Especially this era of social media, 70% of people we know ,are people we met on social media. Now you plan to meet for the first time and you say those words, you've ruined the friendship. She may act like everything is fine but it isn't. You can just say "you're much better in person". Compliment people, it's not a bad thing.


4. You drive very well for a woman
Some men believe that women can't drive as much as they do. So when a woman gives them a lift, they expect her to mess up. You know, little mistakes like, running into potholes, driving without her sit belt and stuff like that. But if she doesn't mess up, they go "you drive very well for a woman, I'm impressed". This statement can be funny sometimes, but it's a bad compliment. The lady went to driving school and has her license so she should be able to drive. Driving isn't meant for men alone you know. You can just say, " You're a very good driver" and you'll get a "Thank you".


5. You've lost weight, Are you sick?
Someone even said this to me two weeks ago. Not that am fat, no no, the person just wanted to say something and honestly it wasn't cool. This question/statement is very common and just so annoying. People say this and say they are concerned. I personally don't think comments on anyone's weight, whatever they may be, are compliments, even when they are intended to be. Those little words you say go a long way.


Whatever you say to others has an impact on them. Be a good observer. Deliberately observe people to find out something good about them, and when you do, compliment them. Good compliments make a positive impact.

Many of the health problems of middle or old aged people, result from the way they lived; what they ate,drank and smoked when younger. Our daily choices affects our likelihood of living long and healthy lives. For most of us, our health is primarily dependent on two factors, what we put into our body and what we do with our body. A simple word for this is 'Lifestyle'.

• Diseases found more often in people over 40 years old

   . Cirrhosis of Liver
Cirrhosis usually occurs in men over 40 years who have been drinking a lot of liquor and eating poorly.

    . Gall bladder Problem
Gall bladder disease occurs mostly in persons who are fat. Women who are overweight should lose weight.

    . Heart Disease
Heart disease occurs frequently in older people, especially in those who smoke or have high blood pressure. They may have frequent chest pains and show signs of shock.

     . Stroke
Stroke usually result from a blood cloth or bleeding inside the brain. Stroke strikes without a warning. Victims may have trouble seeing, speaking and even thinking. It can also lead to paralyses.

Others include;
. Deafness 
. Swelling of Feet
. Arthritis
. Difficulty with Vision
. Chronic Cough
. Diabetes

 These diseases seem quite a lot to deal with, don't they? Since it is clear that our lifestyle contributes a great deal to the diseases around us, I have a few words for people who want to stay healthy when they are older.

1. No smoking


2. Regular exercise 


3. Always eats breakfast: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should not be skipped.

4. Moderate or no intake of alcohol: Alcohol can cause a lot of damage to the body systems. It is advisable not to take it at all, but it it's necessary, let it be moderate.

5. Maintain proper weight/ Eat well: Eat enough nutritious foods and avoid getting overweight or fat.

6. Learn how to relax: Deal positively with things that worry or upset you.

7. Sleep at least 8 hours a day: Try to get enough rest and sleep no matter how busy you are.



In conclusion, avoid food with excessive fat, grease, sugar and high salt content. Embrace natural foods such as fruits, vegetables and a lot of water.