How wheel chair no stop me to become beauty queen - Rita Ofili

Olaronke Alo

BBC News Pidgin, Broadcast Journalist

Wheelchair no stop Rita Ofili from achieving her dream to become beauty queen.

Rita Ofili na di current Miss Wheelchair Nigeria and she dey represent Nigeria for di Miss Wheel Chair World 2022 wey go happun for Mexico.

She don dey win beauty contests since her days for di University.

For interview wit BBC Pidgin, Rita say since she dey school she don dey ginger to become model and di wheel chair no stop her dream.

How Rita jony into pageantry take start?

“I just see say I dey siddon for dis wheelchair, I come like styles, like fashion, come like shakara and I see say I dey do am well-well”

“I don watch beauty pageant tire, watch models dem, dey watch dem Tyra Banks as dem dey cat walk.

“I come dey Wonder how I wan take do di tin wey dem dey do.” Rita tell BBC Pidgin.

She say she later wake up one day tell her sister say she wan go find agency.

Rita say her sister bin ask how she wan do am as she no dey catwalk but she believe say pipo go see her face and still admire her.

Rita win her first beauty contest to gbab di crown of Miss Moremi for University of Lagos, South West oof Nigeria for 2010.

She later go on to contest for di first Miss Wheel Chair competition for Nigeria

'Dem no born me like dis'

“Wen I dey eight years old, my mama tell me say I sick, dem carry me go hospital.

“Na for hospital dem give me injection for bumbum and dem no give am well.”

Rita say na di injection affect her wey make am no fit waka on her two legs again.

“E scatter my bone, scatter legs”, she tok.

'My growing up dey very hard'

“I dey crawl go school, my sistas and mama still dey back me till I reach about 20 years.”

Rita Ofili say she bin no fit afford to siddon for wheel chair wen she dey grow up sake of e dey expensive.

She add am say her parent bin no get moni to buy wheel chair for am dat time.

“I crawl sotee dem do surgery form me as my leg bi dey stiff sake of di crawling too much.”

Rita say all dis one no stop her from achieving wetin be her passion.

‘If you get passion, you go run follow your passion.’

She launch into di pageantry world wen she dey school as take part for one special beauty queen contest.

Rita later win di contest to become ‘Special Miss Moremi’