The Miss Nigeria 1957 official organizer celebrates Chief Grace Atinuke Oyelude, the first Miss Nigeria, ahead of her 93rd birthday on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
In a statement endorsed by Rita Dominic, the Chairman of Miss Nigeria 1957, the organization joined family members, friends, and professional colleagues in celebrating the nonagenarian.
The statement reads in part:
“We are immensely delighted to celebrate the evergreen beauty and brave leader, Chief Grace Atinuke Oyelude, on the occasion of her 93rd birthday.
Her courage, resolve, and great strength of character are excellent qualities that have endeared her to us and many others.”
The statement acknowledged Oyelude’s trail-blazing efforts in inspiring young girls and women of all ages to achieve their dreams, particularly her ability to leverage the Miss Nigeria platform to make meaningful contributions to her country and humanity in general.
According to Mr. Fidelis Anosike, whose Folio Communication owns Miss Nigeria 1957, “Chief Mrs Grace Oyelude is a mother par excellence and a trailblazer for women empowerment.”
Chief Grace Atinuke Oyelude was born on November 16, 1931, in Sabon Gari, Kano, to James and Martha Oyelude. She won the maiden edition of Miss Nigeria in 1957, competing with over 200 other Nigerian ladies.
She later used part of her 200 pounds prize money to travel to England, where she studied nursing. After briefly working in England, she returned to Nigeria to serve in various capacities.
While wishing her sound health and all-around wellness, the Miss Nigeria 1957 chairman thanked God for the grace that has taken Chief Oyelude to the age of 93 years and prayed for the Almighty God to grant her the strength to continue serving humanity.
It is worth recalling that after about 16 years of organizing the pageant to rave reviews, the founder and chairman of Folio Communications, Fidelis Anosike, recently transferred the responsibility of producing and organizing the Miss Nigeria Pageant to The Audrey Silva Company (TASC), owned by his wife Rita Dominic and renowned film director, Mildred Okwo.
Meanwhile, TASC is already putting finishing touches to plans for announcing the call for entries for the Miss Nigeria pageant, which will be held in the first quarter of 2024.
