At just 27 years old, Ugochi Mitchel Ukachukwu (formerly known as Mitchel Ihezue) is a force to be reckoned with, her journey as diverse as it is inspiring. With a B.Sc. in Fine and Applied Arts from the University of Benin and an MBA from Lagos Business School and the IESEG School of Management Paris, Mitchel’s story is one of resilience and unwavering determination.
Mitchel’s foray into the world of modeling began with a bang in 2015 when she contested for the Elite Model Look competition hosted by Beth Model Management. Making it to the top 5, she was swiftly signed into Beth Model Management and embarked on a journey that would take her to the top of Nigeria’s fashion scene.
In 2017, Mitchel’s star reached new heights when she clinched the title of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN). Not content with just winning the crown, she also emerged as the Top Model of the pageant, setting the stage for her international success. Representing Nigeria at the Miss World beauty pageant in Sanya, China, Mitchel made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win the Miss World Top Model title and reaching the top 15, a feat not achieved since Agbani Darego’s victory in 2001.
But Mitchel’s journey didn’t stop there. In 2023, fueled by her advocacy for promoting financial literacy and empowerment for women, she set her sights on a new title: Miss Universe Nigeria. And true to form, Mitchel emerged victorious, making her the first and only beauty queen in Nigeria’s history to hold both titles of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria and Miss Universe Nigeria.
Beyond the glitz and glamour of the pageant world, Mitchel remains grounded in her commitment to empowering women. Partnering with the Prince CN Ukachukwu ministries, she continues to champion initiatives focused on rehabilitation, empowerment, and access to education for women.
Recently, Mitchel embarked on a new chapter filled with love and promise, with her husband, Chairman/CEO of SNECOU Group Limited, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu. Their union, despite discussions surrounding their age difference, remains strong, rooted in love, respect, and mutual admiration.
As Mitchel and Prince embark on this new journey together, we celebrate their love, resilience, and unwavering commitment to each other. Their union is a testament to the power of love to transcend barriers and bring joy and fulfillment into our lives.
Mitchel Ihezue’s journey is a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and unwavering belief in oneself. As we honor her as our cover girl and celebrate her achievements, let us draw inspiration from her story and strive to break barriers, defy expectations, and make a positive impact in the world around us.
Here’s to Mitchel Ihezue – a true queen in every sense of the word, embracing love, beauty, and empowerment with grace and elegance.
We recently caught up with her for a chat, read below for our interview with her,
Q: What inspires you ?
A: I am inspired by the girl I once was, the dreams, goals and aspirations she had; I am inspired by the woman I am now; my accomplishments, failures and dreams to be a better person everyday. I am inspired by the woman I aspire to be, by the women who have gone through this path and have made an impact whilst still striving to do more and be more.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in modeling, and what are the major challenges you faced along the way?
A:To be honest, I didn’t seek a career in modeling. But when I got into it I fell in love with it, and what inspired me to stay and continue was how it broke the rules of society in respect to beauty standards. Girls who would ordinarily not be seen as ‘beautiful’ were celebrated. Different colors and shapes; for some of us, modeling taught us to see the beauty in the parts of us we hated and in our weirdness/awkwardness.
Q: You won the title of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 2017 and Miss Universe Nigeria in 2023. How would you describe your emotions when you were crowned in 2023?
A: I would describe the feeling as ‘out of this world’. It wasn’t easy coming back as a past title holder to contest again; people thought I was crazy. So winning the title for me was a validation of my dreams. I remain ever grateful to God for honoring me.
Q: Representing Nigeria on the global stage at the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador last year must have been an incredible experience. What were some of the highlights and challenges you encountered during this competition?
A: It was truly an incredible experience and completely different from my experience at Miss World in 2017. Seeing the beautiful country of El Salvador, experiencing their culture and meeting all the beautiful representatives from around the globe were some of my highlights. I must also add the National costume competition was amazing; and being a part of it with a perfectly executed costume really made the experience even better. Another major highlight was having my family at the finale and seeing them hold the Nigerian flag, it was a really emotional moment for me. One of the major challenges I faced was coping with the time difference. The country is 7 hours behind Nigeria’s time and I had to be up really late to
communicate with my family and team and still wake up early to be to meet up with the pageant activities.
Q: What was growing up like for you and would you say your childhood experiences shaped you for the path you’re on now?
A: I grew up in Omagba, Onitsha with 4 brothers. Growing up, we had our ups and downs; the downs were tough and pushed me to not just dream but also take actions to turn things around and get to the height that I aspired for. The ‘ups’ taught me to always be grateful for the people and things in my life and find joy even in the smallest things. These all played roles in shaping the woman I am today. I used to love this song ‘Faraway Places’ by Bing Crosby (we used to sing it during assembly in secondary school) and I used to dream of leaving Onitsha and seeing these far away places. So when I got the opportunity to go to Lagos for the first time for a modeling job, I didn’t think twice or look back. Those experiences definitely shaped who I am today. And my 10 yr old self would be mind blown if she heard about the ‘far away places’ i have been to.
Q: Describe your personality using four dynamic words.
A: I would describe my personality as: Spirited, Versatile, Adventurous and Compassionate.
Q: If you were to change something about yourself what would it be?
A: Physically, I wouldn’t change anything about myself; I believe I am fearful and wonderfully made. Personality wise, I would change that I procrastinate a lot. I am working on it and everyday is an improvement.
Q: What does Love mean to you? And what’s your favourite thing about Love?
A: To me, love means living beyond one’s self. It means to live not just for myself, but also for other people; setting aside my wants for their needs.
In Igbo language we say “a huru m gi n’anya” which loosely translates to “I see you in my eyes”. This means that you see them, flaws and all and yet, they’d always have a place in your heart, not ‘because of’ but ‘in spite of’, This is what makes love beautiful. God knew the heart of man was desperately wicked and that the flesh would always be susceptible to sin and yet, in spite of, he still sent His only son Jesus to die for our sake. There’s no greater love than this.
Q: Who are your favourite people in the world?
A: my favorite people in the world are my family: my brothers and my parents. And most recently added to the list, my husband.
Q: What do you find most challenging about your work?
A: What I find most challenging about my work is making a long lasting impact in the lives of the people who are beneficiaries of my outreach program. Over the years, I have seen that most beneficiaries do not know how to properly use the resources that have been made available to them, especially financial aids; and after a few months or a few years they are back to square one. This is an unending cycle of resources being mismanaged and not making the level of impact it was intended for. Which is why I have focused my project on financial literacy to not only provide financial aid and life skills but to also educate them on how to manage, grow and reproduce the resources they have been given. At the Prince CN Ukachukwu Ministry where I am a partner, we have developed a follow-up culture and have been having monthly follow up sessions with beneficiaries of our outreaches and also yearly. This allows us to continue teaching these beneficiaries, catch any mismanagement early and also provide further assistance as the need arises.
Another challenge I have faced are the gatekeepers to communities in need of assistance; communities like orphanages, refugee camps and even the prisons. There have been situations where we found that these gatekeepers prevent these resources from getting to their wards and keep them to themselves. This is a really heartbreaking situation and I hope that a sustainable solution can be found for this challenge.
Q: As a woman in Beauty Pageantry industry, what would you say has been your greatest challenge?
A: as a woman in the beauty pageant industry, I would say my greatest challenge has been coping with the negative stereotypes that come with the industry and also the unrealistic beauty standards and beauty expectations from the fan base. They tend to forget that beauty queens are humans too and can’t be perfect.
Q: What changes would you implement in the Beauty Pageantry Industry if you had the power to change anything about the industry?
A: unfortunately , the pageant community tends to extremely criticize the queens, especially whilst they are representing the country internationally. Over the years, this criticism ( though not ill-intentioned) evolved into bullying, and cyber bullying. Some queens are being bullied by their fellow queens, some are being trolled and cyber bullied by the fans, even some pageant coaches and organizations are a part of this menace.
We recently lost a queen. She was a victim of cyberbullying and had fallen into depression. If I had the power, I would change this and create systems that protected beauty queens from this
pandemic. It is unfortunate and sad to see that people who should be making these changes, and who should be educating the fanbase are the ones in enabling them.
Q: Tell us about the happiest time in your life
A: I have been blessed with countless happy moments that I find difficult to pick one, so I’d just say the most recent events: winning the Miss Universe Nigeria title (maiden edition) and getting married to the love of my life. In both moments, I felt blessed and my dreams validated.
Q: You recently got married. Congratulations! How do you envision balancing your personal life with your professional endeavours moving forward?
A: Balancing my personal life with my professional endeavors would require intentionality, communication, and a willingness to adapt. By prioritizing my relationship with my spouse, setting boundaries, and taking care of myself, I believe I can successfully navigate the demands of both worlds while thriving in both aspects of my life.
Q: Your advocacy for promoting financial literacy and empowerment for women is commendable. Can you tell us more about the initiatives you’re involved in and why this cause is important to you?
A: This cause is important to me because education is powerful and financial Education, LIBERATING. I want more women to have control over their finances and their life. I want them to learn how to manage money and Grow sustainable wealth. It’s important for them especially because of the rate of abuse cases we have. I have seen too many women who cannot walk away from Abusive partners because they do not have a Penny to their name. I want women to know better and then have more choices.
Q: What advice would you give to young women aspiring to pursue a career in modelling or pageantry, especially in Nigeria?
A: For young women who are aspiring to pursue a career in modeling and pageantry I would advise that they build confidence, be disciplined,and have strong values. It is also important that you develop your skill set and strive to be the best you can be. Another important piece of advice. I’ll give what tends to be overlooked, is to research before stepping into the industry. People have an inflated idea of what the industry is and when expectations do not meet reality, the results can be devastating.
Love yourself! Be your authentic self, refuse to fall into the trap of society’s beauty standards, and learn how to accept rejection because rejection is a big part of the industry.
Have a backup plan! While pursuing modeling or pageantry can be rewarding, it’s essential to have a backup plan in case things don’t go as planned. Pursue education, acquire additional
skills, and explore alternative career paths to ensure you have options and stability for the future.
Also please take care of your mental health, avoid Comparing yourself with others and don’t compete with people you should be learning from. Remember that success in modeling or pageantry requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance. Stay focused on your goals, believe in yourself, and never stop chasing your dreams.
Q: What would you like people to remember you for?
A: I would love to be remembered for living an impactful life, for putting smiles on faces and wiping tears away.
I want to be remembered as an advocate for change and as one who lived beyond self. I would love to be remembered as the woman who aimed for the stars and achieved both the stars, and the moon
Q: If you had the opportunity to go back in time what would you change or do differently, how would that change affect your life now?
A: Lol, there are a lot of things i would love to change and do differently; however i believe that everything happens for a reason and that every experience (or rather most) are important pieces to the puzzle that is or life and each of these pieces play a role in completing the picture and story of who we are. And if i had taken different decisions, my life’s trajectory would definitely be different and i wouldn’t be where i am and who i am today. And so, if the opportunity presented itself, I don’t think I would change anything.
Q: What are your plans and goals for the future, both in your career and personal life?
A: I’m committed to advancing in not just the pageant and beauty space but in the entrepreneurial space and taking on new challenges. In my career, I aim to utilize my platform to advocate for causes I’m passionate about, such as [financial education and empowerment for women and education for all. I plan to continue honing my leadership skills, and community engagement to make a positive impact on society and prepare myself to take up leadership roles in the political space.
On a personal level, I value family, and I intend to continue nurturing relationships with both family and friends. I also plan to prioritize self-care, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. I also aspire to explore new hobbies, travel to new places, and continue learning and growing as an individual. Overall, my goal is to lead a fulfilling and balanced life whilst making meaningful contributions and impact in my society while also prioritizing my well-being and personal growth. I am excited about the opportunities ahead, and committed to pursuing my aspirations.
Q: Lastly, What advise would you give to young women who are struggling with finding themselves or their purpose in life?
A: For young women who are struggling to find themselves and their purpose, I would say to always remember that your dreams are valid and that the first obstacle you need to overcome is their mind. You cannot go beyond what your mind tells you, hence it is important that we are not limited by our own thoughts. Once you overcome and control your mindset, you become limitless.
Most importantly, put God first in everything and ALWAYS seek His guidance, the truth is that life is hard and we cannot do it on our own.
Q:Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us
A: Thank you so much for having me and giving me this opportunity to share a bit of myself with the world.