Nneka Igwe Orugbala is the CEO/founder of Miss Beauty And Brains Nigeria, a pageant industry that empowers and celebrates young, purposeful, resilient, and beautiful ladies. Miss Beauty and Brains project primarily reinforces the humanity of young women, strengthening social adroitness such as interpersonal communications, self-assurance, public speaking, and leadership skills which prove to be useful in future career paths. In this interview with NNEKA IGWE ORUGBALA, she talks about leading a league of girls that will influence change positively in society.
Tell us about yourself?
First of all, thank you for having me, I want to start by thanking the Afriupdate News family for their love and support for the past couple of years, I’m glad to finally be meeting you guys.
My name is NNEKA IGWE ORUGBALA, I work with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) as a producer and a presenter. I studied Mass Communication, I’m a student of Ebonyi State University (EBSU), I’m the founder and CEO of Miss Beauty and Brains Nigeria (MiBB), I like to call myself a youth counselor somewhat, I’m an Ebonyian and I’m married with two children, Like a married person, I’m very conscious of my environment and time, I just like to be alive to my environment so that’s who I’m basically.
How long have you been a beauty enthusiast?
For a very long time, first of all, as a media person, I started very early in the media industry as early as when I was 16 years, even before I gained admission to study mass communication I have always been a media person, I have always been in the midst of event planners, movie producers, you know? way back in secondary school we are the people planning all the shows, quiz and funfair, I have always been like an industry person you know, talking about beauty and event it has always been a part of my life.
What inspired you to start this project?
Yeah! I have worked for a lot of other brands before establishing Miss Beauty and Brains Nigeria (MiBB), so many different brands around the country, some we started from scratch, some I met them halfway, I have worked with so many other brands, planning to be their LOC, being their pageant director, being their chaperone. I have worked with so many other brands, I can’t mention all.
I always knew that someday I was going to run my own brand. So, over the years working with other brands I just learned from the job, I also learn from all the nice professionals I have come in contact with, they gave me the opportunity to work on their brand, eventually, when it was time for me to start my own brand, I told myself I can’t procrastinate this anymore let get started already, so here we are!
Ok, Miss Beauty and Brains Nigeria ( MiBB) for me is more like a movement, you know me trying to grow an army of girls, girls that are empowered, girls that are inspired, girls that know their purpose, girls of impact, you know? Is me wanting to lead a league of young girls that will change their generations, Is me wanting to inspire a league of young girls who are so independent, so empowered, so purposeful, You know? A friend of mine calls girls like that BALE (Beautiful and Empowered Ladies Living In Excellence) You know? It’s just me wanting to lead a league of an army of girls that influence change positively in the society, so I said okay? I’m interested in the pageantry so why don’t I just pour my passion into my love for the pageant industry, where we discover not just your beauty, we also help you to discover purpose and be the better version of who you are, so that’s what Miss Beauty and Brains Nigeria (MiBB) is to me, it’s way beyond business for me, it’s way beyond making money, it’s an opportunity for me to get to mentor.
What are the values you are championing through this medium?
Ok? Like I mentioned earlier, I have this belief that every woman, every young girl can be a queen, every young girl can be a queen diva, there is a queen in every young woman, and I also believe that if we get it right with the girls in the society then we are halfway there, we are halfway in solving problems like indecent dressing, which will also help to curb problems like rape because some people give excuses that why they rape is because she lured me to it. I believe that if girls are well behaved if, if girls have values then the boys will adjust and conform immediately, if you have a society where girls are so indiscipline, then indiscipline thrives more because the girls are those who are going to say NO to indiscipline, malpractice, indecency, prostitution, and let me tell you this! Once a girl has this crown of search on her there is this instant transformation that it brings, apart from sitting in front of a camera looking pretty in make-up, once you have this crown of search in you, you just wear this new aura, you know? You begin to feel that there is something majestic about it. It just makes you conform to good behavior, it just shapes you automatically, it just changes the way you see society, When you talk about values, one thing I don’t fail to do is to channel them towards charity, I channel them back to humanitarian work, we visit motherless babies, we visit the old, we go to the leprosy colony we do a lot of giving back to the society, I make sure I channel all my ambassadors to doing charity works, we visit schools and give them words of orientation, we also teach them menstrual hygiene, puberty and all of that, we generally teach them stuffs that can help them become a wholesome woman in the future. I think that’s the biggest value I’m championing through MiBB project.
What are the major challenges you have encountered in the beauty industry?
It’s been a long hard way coming but we have to be very consistent, I told myself when we start this, that it’s a movement we are not stopping anytime soon, I already knew before I got into this that it’s not gonna be an easy road to travel but I also had the zeal and I was tenacious about it.
Before I talk more about the challenges I must say I’m blessed with wonderful crew members from day one, of course, I don’t do this alone, from day one I have surrounded myself with young men and women of same mind, same vision who has been so supportive through the years, whenever I come around in doing this they give me every maximum support, they make sure we pull through together.
Then coming to the challenges? We are in Abakaliki in Ebonyi state, and unfortunately show business and entertainment isn’t so big. I can tell you that it’s not a big industry here, sponsors are limited, finances at our disposal is very intense, we have to do a lot of improvisation just to make sure we meet up with things, we pull our talents, we pull our resources together, Honestly, it’s been a difficult way to travel but our passion keeps sustaining us, and then we have some good-spirited individual who has always come to our rescue , they are too numerous to mention, we have partnered with so many lovely brands one of which Afriupdate News is part of, we have a lot of people who just come to our rescue, like the salt lake and suite hotel, Osborn La Palm family, Monabliss family, The stomach infrastructure , so many brands come to our aid, they may not necessarily give us all the money that we need but they pull there weight behind us to ensure we succeed, it’s been always difficult to get financial sponsors that what I’m saying but our passion keep sustaining us.
How do you combine social life, career, and family?
Whoop!! A lot of people have asked me this, well I do a lot of time management, It’s difficult being a busy bee, you know? Apart from all of that it all comes down to the passion I have for the things that I do, It comes down to the love I have for the things that I do. It comes down to the goals I aims at achieving, me making humanity a better one, making community a better place and forcing change positively , you know changing stereo types taking psychos, You know? Turning things around me for good, all of this passion I just find the energy, because of the passion I have for the things that I do, I try enjoy the journey as it progresses, I take it with challenges but I don’t dwell on it, a lot of challenges, a lot of set-backs, sometimes you don’t want to get out of bed, but I don’t dwell on it, I look on the positive side and what awaits. My passion always gives me strength plus time management I do a lot of it, of course I delicate I don’t do this alone, I have people I work with who come through for me.
So, shout out to you guys you all know who you are, Nekky’s event crew been there for me since day one I cannot love you guys less, a special shout out to mother Hen!
So, I just do a lot of time management plus support from my family, from my spouse.
My spouse allows me to be in my space, he allows me to do the things I’m passionate about, when I first met him I was scared that he was not even gonna allow me to be me, I hoped he was going to allow me to be me, do me, be in my space do the things that I love, and that’s exactly what I got.
How can you encourage other women and other young ladies who are still struggling with their ideals?
….Ahmm I will just tell you to go and chase your dreams girl, your dreams are valid, your opinion matters, you have a voice and you deserve to be heard you should reaffirm and validate yourself first of all it’s very important, be purposefully about the things you want to achieve and things you intend to do, it’s not gonna come easily they must be challenges, setbacks and criticism sometimes a lot of people will try to talk you into not doing you, a lot of people will want to discourage you don’t listen to them that’s why I said you should first and foremost validate yourself affirm yourself, your dreams and your aspiration and the change you can bring, tell yourself you can do this, this is what I was born to do, there is greatness in every young girl, just go for it, there is a lot the world can do with a lot of very empowered strong young women.
Closing thought?
Ehm… I will just like to give massive big ups to everyone that has supported this movement from day one, you all are too numerous to count, you all know who you are, so thank you for the love thank you for the support keep it coming. We are not about stopping this anytime soon we are very confident because of the love and support we get from you, so thank you all very much and to all my past and present ambassadors, beauty queens and the whole Miss Beauty and Brains Nigeria (MiBB) crew we made history on the goal, we thank you all for helping us achieve this dreams of ours. This Season 4 is the Ankara EDITION it keeps getting better every year, my heart is filled with gratitude so thank you all so much, and let’s do more.
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