Photos: Meet 84-Year-Old First Miss Nigeria Beauty Queen Early life

Grace Atinuke (born November 16, 1931) is known
to be the first Miss Nigeria from the year 1957.
Oyelude was born in Kano to James Adeleye Olude
and Marthan Dantu of Isanlu from Kogi State, and
was raised in Northern Nigeria. She had her
primary and secondary education between 1940 and
1952 in Kano.
Miss Nigeria
Miss Nigeria commenced in 1957 as a photo
contest. Contestants posted photographs of
themselves to the Daily Times headquarters in
Lagos where finalists were shortlisted. Successful
finalists were afterwards invitedto compete in the
live final at the Lagos Island Club. At that time, the
Miss Nigeria contest did not include a swimsuit
competition. Oyelude was working at United African
Company (UAC) when she represented the then
Northern region. After winning the contest, she
travelled to England where she studied Nursing.
Within months of gaining admission to the School
of Nursing, Ashford Kent England, she was crowned
Miss Nigeria.
Nursing career
Oyelude became a State Registered Nurse in1961
and became qualified as a state registered midwife
SCM (NRM) in 1962. She moved on to the Royal
College of Nursing, England in 1971[4] and
obtained a diploma in Nursing and Hospital
administration (DNHA).
At the Ghana Institute of Management and
Personnel Administration, she completed studies
for another diploma.
In the United Kingdom, Oyelude worked in several
hospitals including Paddington General Hospital,
one of the former local hospitals of St Mary’s
Hospital, London. After returning to Nigeria, she
worked in Kaduna General Hospital between 1964
and 1965.
She worked as a senior nursing sister-in-charge of
the former Kaduna Nursing home (now Barau Dike
specialist hospital, Kaduna) from 1965-1977. When
the Nigerian Civil War started in 1967, she moved
to Markurdi General Hospital. Oyelude led a team
from the Northern region; the group that helped
hospitals get ready to treat casualties of war.
In the early 1970s she worked as a senior matron
and director of nursing services at the Ahmadu
Bello University’s teaching hospital, after joining
the Institute of Health, Ahmadu Bello University.
She voluntarily retired from that post in 1985. She
was also an external examiner of the Nursing and
Midwifery Council of Nigeria. She chaired the
Kwara State Health Management Board from1980 to
1983.