14 Year Old Wins Nigeria’s Next Super Model’s: Interview With Organiser

Favour Lucky is now the model that is making headlines in Nigeria, but wait…..she is only 14! Was it luck? or favour by the organisers? If not so, how did she do it at the age of 14? Well to simply put that question to rest, anyone who has worked prominently in the fashion industry will know she had most of the physical qualities to leave with the title.

The show was a fantastic night sponsored by Loreal and various other brands, with a choreographed introduction, girls walked in designs by Kibonen NY, Zohi Taglit, Walid Attalah and more. It was highly anticipated after the amazing press launch on the yacht, yes We said a Yacht (Joan get your sponsor to give fashionGHANA.com some money). The competition was tight and had so many great looking fashion potentials strutting down the catwalk. A good half of those ladies would have been enough to kick start a modelling agency that could compete with the likes of mainstream European agencies.

Press Launch for Nigeria’s Next Super Model

Most agreed Favour Lucky deserved the title, she had a clear combination of her walk, her looks, confidence and her 5ft11 height set her apart from the other contestants was quite clear. Nevertheless, if you ask me, any 14-year old that is brave enough to jump in the middle of competition amongst girls 19 and above is already a winner.

NNSM sets the bar to have the youngest fashion model winner in Nigeria and if not possibly all of Africa. Prior to that was the amazing 15-year-old girl Chika, who won Elite Model Search Nigeria. We took this opportunity to interview organiser, Joan Okorodudu and see what’s next for their young bright star.

Me:Congratulations on you recently executed Nigeria’s Next Super Model.

Joan Okorodudu: Thank you.

Me: About your winner? What happens to the car as she is 14, does she get it? or do you keep it till she is of age?

Joan Okorodudu: Yes she has it already and we are giving permission to the dad to drive her
I also gave a car to Bunmi as Dark and Lovely Nigeria’s most outstanding model
(Bumni was a former winner of Nigeria’s Next Super Model and also a model of Joan’s Isis Models Agency)

Me: Are there any current international plans for Favour Lucky confirmed?

Joan Okorodudu: Favour, because of her age, she will start to travel end of next year, but the 2nd and 3rd runners up will leave Nigeria soon.

Me: In countries like Liberia, Guinea Bissau and Malawi and so forth, modelling opportunities are very limited, does your organization have any intentions of expanding NNSM may be under a different name that could include models of other nationalities?

Joan Okorodudu: Right now we have an Ivorian model who has made so much money since she came into Nigeria for modelling. Took her to Mercedes Benz fashion week Africa, she did the bougies shoot, got $2,000 as Africa’s Next Supermodel award at NNSM and left for the Zara shoot in Spain. We are now going to open model houses to enable us to bring more models to Nigeria. We have also been invited to some African countries

Me: How did the other contestants take losing to 14 years old, did they leave bitter?

Joan Okorodudu: They love her and they have been crazy about her. They are going to her secondary school on Monday.

Me: What gave you the idea to organise the press launch on a yacht?

Joan Okorodudu: The press yacht, NNSM is now in its 2nd season I just felt it was a cool way of bringing the girls in.

Me: Most models look forward to getting involved in model competitions with foreign brands to win the chance to be recognized, you currently hold one of the top model competitions in all of Africa, and it’s your own brand, in a few words can you let us know some of the difficulties it took to get here?

Joan Okorodudu: Beefs with a capital B. I think I have the best model search in Africa at least the one that makes sense. Models get cars and go all over the world. This show cost me 200,000 dollars and it was still not enough.

Me: You say “beef” I take it to be the incident a couple of years ago in the past with various characters, but if at this moment any of them reached out to you to work with you and make amends, will you be open to that? Or would you prefer to keep your distance?

Joan Okorodudu: I have had some apologies and I have forgiven them. However, I will keep my distance from a few who were very venomous. Like lethally venomous

Me: lol. ok, any last words for aspiring models across Africa?

Joan Okorodudu: We have to start looking at making the industry bigger in Africa. Right now with Mercedes Benz fashion week, African African models are doing well in Africa. That the best is yet to come.

Me: Cool, Good stuff, thanks for your time.

Joan Okorodudu: My pleasure you are welcome.

See images below and comment below and let me know what you think, is 14 too young for a model competition? Did you attend? Did Favour deserve the title? Should model competition winners be wearing tiaras? Fire away. 😉