Biography
Chief Agbani Darego (born December 22, 1982) is a Nigerian beauty queen and model who rose to fame after being crowned Miss World in 2001.
With this, she became the first indigenous African to win the Miss World title.
The award-winning beauty has set and broken many national and international records at various beauty pageants she has participated in.
Nigerian Model
Agbani Darego |
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 Agbani Darego: History, Biography, Photos |
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| Wiki Events & About Data | |
| Full name: | Agbani Darego |
| Stage name: | Chief Agbani Darego |
| Born: | December 22, 1982 (age 41) |
| Place of birth: | Lagos, Nigeria |
| State of origin: | River State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Parents: | Inaewo Darego, Arsenite Sikibo Darego |
| Height: | 1.82 meters |
| Siblings: | Nengi Darego |
| The children: | 2 |
| Boyfriend • Husband: | Ishaya Danjuma (married 2017) |
| Job: | Model • TV Personality |
| Net worth: | $3.7 million |
Early life
Agbani Darego was born into a family of ten children in the old city of Lagos. She is the sixth of eight children.
Her mother’s name is Inaewo Darego, a rice trader and clothing store owner.
Unfortunately, she passed away when Agbani was just ten years old due to complications from terrible breast cancer.
Agbani Darego revealed that her mother’s death had devastating consequences for her family and in the long run prepared her to face difficult challenges in life.
She lived in Lagos for two years before her family moved to Port-Harcourt in Rivers State, Southern Nigeria, to a small town called D-Line.
Education
Agbani Darego completed his primary schooling at Bereton Montessori Nursery and Primary School in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
At the age of ten, she was sent to a boarding school to get away from her mother, who was ailing from complications of breast cancer.
She completed her secondary education at the Federal Government Girls Secondary School in Abuloma, Rivers State.
For her undergraduate studies, she majored in computer science and mathematics at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In 2012, she graduated with a degree in Psychology from New York University.
Career
Beauty pageant career
Agbani Darego reached the pinnacle of her beauty pageant career when she won the crown of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 2001.
And a few months later, she represented her beloved country Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant. Once again, she made it to the top 10 of the competition, becoming the first Nigerian to do so, in a competition where she finished seventh.
During the swimsuit competition at Miss Universe, she was the only contestant in the top 10 to wear a conservative outfit instead of the usual revealing bikini that everyone else wears.
In the winter of November 2001, Agbani Darego set a record by becoming the first indigenous African to win the Miss World title.
The victory was not only hers alone, but was celebrated across Africa, especially in her home country of Nigeria. During her five-year tenure, she also earned the right to tour the world, booking appearances through pageants, including MFR.
Agbani Darego has appeared on the judging panel of numerous beauty, fashion and modelling competitions. She has also been a judge in Miss England 2002, Mr. Scotland 2002, Elite Model Look Nigeria 2012 and 2014 including Miss World 2014.
Modeling career
The pride of Nigeria, Agbani Darego started her modelling career as a teenager when she auditioned for M-Net’s Face of Africa modelling competition without her father’s consent where she failed to make it to the finals.
She didn’t let the loss weigh her down, and after a few years, she was signed to represent a chain of collectible stores.
After her incredible performance at Miss Universe, she was invited by Naomi Campbell to participate in a charity fashion show called Frock ‘n’ Roll in Barcelona. Soon after, she signed her first international modelling contract with Donald Trump Model Management in the US.
Becoming Miss World was a huge deal. It landed her another big contract with L’Orèal, the London and Paris branch of Next Model Management. She signed a three-year deal with the company, becoming the second black model to achieve the feat after Venessa Williams.
Agbani Darego was also honored to have his photo taken by Annie Leibovitz, a famous American celebrity photographer; please share with Vogue.
Throughout her career, she has modeled for many brands, some of which include: Christian Dior, Avon, Sephora, Macy’s, and Target.
Other magazines include Marie Claire, Allure, Elle, Stitch, Trace and even Essense magazine.
Agbani Darego has worked with some of the world’s top designers, such as; Oscar de, La Renta, Gianfranco Ferre, Tammy Hilfiger, Marc Bouwer and Ralph Lauren.
In Nigeria, Agbani has appeared for a leading advertising agency called Gentle Touch, alongside model Oluchi. She has also appeared as the face of the popular airline Arik Air.
She has appeared on the covers of many local magazines such as Complete Fashion, ThisDay Style, Mania, True Love, Genevieve and TW Magazine.
Social media
Agbani Darego’s achievements have earned her a significant fan base who follow her on social media platforms.
Being a beauty queen, she always keeps her followers glued to their phones with her beautiful pictures at ceremonies and events. Agbani’s official name is;
- Instagram: @AD_AgbaniDarego
- Facebook: Agbani Darego
- Instagram: @agbanidarego
- Website: adbyagbanidarego.com
Personal life
Agbani Darego is a beauty to behold. Her hair is black and her eyes are brown. She is 6 feet (1.82 m) tall and weighs 62 kg.
Agbani Darego is a happily married woman. She is married to her longtime lover, Ishaya Danjuma, the son of a billionaire known as General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma. They tied the knot in a lavish wedding held on April 8, 2017 in Marrakech, Morocco.
The couple has two children so far. The first is a baby boy born in September 2018, the second was born in December 2020.
Agbani Darego was conferred the title of chief by the Lagos State Council of Chiefs after her triumphant victory in 2001, becoming one of the youngest chiefs in Nigeria.
Net worth
Agbani Darego’s influence and achievements have made her one of the highest paid models in Africa. She is also known as one of the richest and most influential supermodels in Nigeria.
She has endorsement, ambassadorial and advertising contracts with various companies and organizations globally, giving Agbani Darego the authority and ability to achieve an estimated net worth of $3.7 million.
