Toyin Raji
Encyclopedia
Toyin Enitan Raji is a Nigeria
n Nollywood actress and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria
and represented her country
in Miss Universe 1995
and Miss World 1995
.
to the 1995 Miss Universe
pageant, broadcast live from Windhoek
, Namibia
on May 12, 1995, Raji placed 11th overall in the preliminary competition, 7th in preliminary interview
and 12th in swimsuit
, barely missing the semifinals by five hundredth
s of a point.
Augustine Masilela of South Africa
made the cut in 10th place, denying Raji the chance of becoming Nigeria's first Miss Universe
semifinalist. Nonetheless, Raji received the Congeniality award, voted by her fellow contestants.
pageant, held in Sun City
, South Africa
on November 18, 1995, where she once again was voted by her fellow competitors as the most personable, receiving the Miss Personality award.
The irony, however, became glaring when Raji was pressured to withdraw by South Africa
n authorities following political controversy over defacto Nigerian president Sani Abacha
's decision to execute nine dissidents.
.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Nollywood actress and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria
Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria
The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant originally began as Miss Universe Nigeria in 1983, and was created by Silverbird Group. It was later re-named Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1986. Winners represent Nigeria in Miss World and, until recently, Miss Universe – currently, only the...
and represented her country
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
in Miss Universe 1995
Miss Universe 1995
Miss Universe 1995, the 44th Miss Universe pageant was held at Windhoek Country Club Resort, in Windhoek, Namibia on May 12, 1995. Chelsi Smith of USA was crowned as Miss Universe 1995 by Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen of India...
and Miss World 1995
Miss World 1995
The 45th Miss World Pageant was held for the fourth straight year at the Sun City Entertainment Centre in Sun City, South Africa on 18 November 1995. The 1995 pageant attracted 84 delegates. The pageant was hosted by Richard Steinmetz, Jeff Trachta and Bobbie Eakes and was also particiapted by...
.
Miss Universe 1995
As the official representative of NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
to the 1995 Miss Universe
Miss Universe 1995
Miss Universe 1995, the 44th Miss Universe pageant was held at Windhoek Country Club Resort, in Windhoek, Namibia on May 12, 1995. Chelsi Smith of USA was crowned as Miss Universe 1995 by Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen of India...
pageant, broadcast live from Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
on May 12, 1995, Raji placed 11th overall in the preliminary competition, 7th in preliminary interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
and 12th in swimsuit
Swimsuit
A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...
, barely missing the semifinals by five hundredth
Hundredth
In arithmetic, a hundredth is a single part of something that has been divided equally into a hundred parts. For example, a hundredth of 675 is 6.75.A hundredth is the reciprocal of 100....
s of a point.
Augustine Masilela of South Africa
Miss South Africa
Miss South Africa is an annual beauty pageant in South Africa that began in 1956. The winner of the pageant represents her country at the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants....
made the cut in 10th place, denying Raji the chance of becoming Nigeria's first Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
semifinalist. Nonetheless, Raji received the Congeniality award, voted by her fellow contestants.
Miss World 1995
A few months later, Raji participated in the 1995 Miss WorldMiss World 1995
The 45th Miss World Pageant was held for the fourth straight year at the Sun City Entertainment Centre in Sun City, South Africa on 18 November 1995. The 1995 pageant attracted 84 delegates. The pageant was hosted by Richard Steinmetz, Jeff Trachta and Bobbie Eakes and was also particiapted by...
pageant, held in Sun City
Sun City, North West
Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on November 18, 1995, where she once again was voted by her fellow competitors as the most personable, receiving the Miss Personality award.
The irony, however, became glaring when Raji was pressured to withdraw by South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n authorities following political controversy over defacto Nigerian president Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
's decision to execute nine dissidents.
Personal life
After appearing in a several Nollywood movies, Raji had a daughter and left the country to live in Houston, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.