So You Want To Be A Model?

I’ve been meaning to do a post on “how to become a model in Nigeria” for a while now because I keep getting emails asking for my own story and also advice on how they can go about it but I would have loved to bring you a fresh perspective from one of these “new age” models because I’m a bit old lol and to be honest that’s the reason I’ve been holding back. That and laziness
So I’ve finally decided to stop waiting for the model I wanted to write this post and just do it myself.

How It All Started :

First shoot I did for the face of sleek Ad. I was so shy and inexperienced.

I started modelling proper in late 2011 or there about.
I think its safe for me to say I was “scouted” even though we don’t really have model scouts over here but I was walking on the road one day and a lady stopped me and asked me if I was interested in modelling.
That was the starting point, she paid for my cat walk classes. I was miserable at first, chei! Learning wasn’t so easy because I wasn’t used to wearing heels at all and they would always mock me 🙁 but look at me nowwwww. Lol
I was scouted two times actually, the second time was by Nigerian Designer Mai Atafo. After meeting him at various events where I was ushering at (the first two times, I legit turned down the offer) I finally decided to stop being so dense and scared and quit worrying about if I’ll be able to combine med school with modelling. So i took the opportunity he offered and i havent looked back since.
I’m so thankful that God didn’t give up on me and still found other ways to make me see I was meant to do this even if not full time because modelling has opened so many doors for me and has been an interesting and wonderful journey. 


What you should know before delving in :

– Its not always all fun and glamour, its also hard work and requires discipline and resilience
– The pay isn’t always good – let me not even go into that but all I’ll say is that if you’re doing it for the money, you’re on a long thing.
– It can get downright depressing with the constant rejections and all. Lool, imagine going for a casting and you’re asked to walk and before you even take your second step, the judge screams next!!
– Nigeria being nigeria, of course there is corruption even in the modelling sector. Things don’t run as you probably imagined from watching next top model or fashion tv. So yeah, get ready for anything and everything.

Getting Started : 

I usually advise people just starting up to join an agency although like I said things are a bit different here (not in a good way though) and most models don’t even get their jobs from their agencies.
They hussle them out themselves by going for auditions, meeting people, building a network of people in the business that call them up for direct jobs etc
But it wouldn’t hurt to join an agency if you’re a newbie, that way you get the proper training – cat walk, poses and all that.
StylJunki has a post on contact info of some modelling agencies in Nigeria and you can check it out here.
If the agency thing doesn’t sound too appealing, you can also try out a modelling competition. Most of them require no experience at all and you learn catwalk, poise and charisma from it and can also start building your network too.