Having featured as a model with Beth Model Management and Lookbooks for top womenswear labels such as Lisa Folawiyo and Tiffany Amber,Ugochi Ihezuecrowned her figure with theMost Beautiful Girl In NigeriaPageant Award Friday night.

Beaming to the audience at the Eko Hotel and Suites, the reigning queen reflects the beauty that is laced with smartness and candour; a rare attribute that singled her out of the crowd.

She had represented Kebbi, one of the 36 states of Nigeria and also won for herself,"The Best Model"category of the show.

What a night to mark the 30th anniversary of theMBGN, a show that produced Agbani Darego in 2001, who would later emerge as Miss World.

To Ihezue, it has been a great experience, competing with equally beautiful and smart ladies and coming out as the best of the best.

Though she has been around, Ihezue learnt new ways of doing things at the MBGN camp. Like 36 other ladies who have represented the states, including Abuja, FCT, the new queen was drilled, tutored and managed to become a great human resource for this generation.

At the end of an amazing night the MBGN World winner Ugochi Ihezue was crowned by outgoing queen Unoaku Anyadike.

With her is the second runner-up Miss Plateau (Winfrey Okolo) who will represent Nigeria at the Miss Tourism Beauty Pageant.

Third Runner-Up was Miss Sokoto (Stephanie Agbasi) who also won the award for Best Traditional Costumes) and will represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant and the Fourth Runner-Up was Miss Oyo (Emmanuella Yaboh) who will represent Nigeria in Miss ECOWAS Pageant.

Other winners for the night include:

Miss Amity– Miss Yobe, Ndali Eno
Miss Photogenic/Congeniality– Miss Anambra, Maristella Okpala
Model of the Year– Miss Kebbi, Ugochi Ihezue
Best Costume– Miss Sokoto, Stephanie Agbasi
Best Evening Wear– Miss Bayelsa, Rebecca N Hampson
MBGN Ecowas– Miss Oyo, Emmanuella Yaboh
MBGN Tourism– Miss Plateau, Winfrey Okolo
MBGN Universe– Miss Sokoto, Stephanie Agbasi

•Credit (except headline): Silverbird TV.