Omowunmi Akinnifesi speaks on being a virgin at 37

Omowunmi Akinnifesi, the Nigerian model, has revealed that she made a covenant with God at the age of 18 to remain a virgin.

The 37-year-old former winner of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) spoke about her decision to abstain from sexual intercouse in a recent episode of her podcast.

Akinnifesi explained that her decision to remain a virgin was a personal choice, made as a covenant with God.

She emphasised that her commitment to sexual purity was not about being “celibate” but about consecrating herself to God.

The model revealed that she had struggled with shame and stigma surrounding her virginity, particularly in her 20s.

She said she had friends who laughed at her and that she had been the subject of negative rumors and stories.

The businesswoman, however, disclosed that she had overcome the challenges through her faith and personal growth.

“Things are very different right now. The way women are now almost as if we do not understand our values anymore. Personally, I had a covenant with God when I was 18 about keeping myself. People say celibate but I have never done it before. There was nobody there for me,” she said.

“For me, I spent all of my 20s making mistakes and doing what I knew best because I have kept to myself. I walked in shame for a very long time. I had friends I could not talk to and when I finally spoke to them they would laugh at me.

“Even worse, the stories that I hear about myself, that I have dated some people, would make you believe that I actually do not mind because it helped mark the real me.

“Imagine being okay with negative stories about you because you are masking something that you thought would be an embarrassment. Something like virginity. In the world today, it was very hard for me but I survived it by God’s grace. But I can only imagine the girl out there who has decided to keep herself. She feels ashamed because it feels really different from the rest of the world.

“I was very ashamed about it. And the older it got worse. As I have grown I come to realise that I cannot stand before the mirror and be ashamed because I kept my body.”