Eze Kingsley is in his early 20s and is making waves on the Nigerian runway. The first thing that strikes you about this Lagos State University (LASU) History and International Studies undergraduate is his good looks, and then his 6ft 3inch height. Elixir had a chat with this young model from Abia state.

Click the images for larger sizes

How long have you been modeling?
I started in 2007, so it’s about two years now.

Who do you model for at present?
Presently I am working with Frank Osodi Richard (House of Bunor Creazioni).

What are your challenges?
Every day in Lagos, one goes through challenges: traffic hold-ups… the stress is just too much for one to bear. I remember when a cousin of mine came visiting and we were on our way to Ikeja and there was this serious traffic jam on Opebi road… he looked at me and said, “Lagos makes driving look really hard.”
Another challenge I face is in the modeling industry. You go for an audition and you are qualified for that particular job, but you are not given the chance because the person casting you prefers to give it to someone he knows. Even when you do a job your money is delayed, and Nigeria models are not paid well. And there are no organizations for such things. We need such organizations to fight for Nigeria models when we are being maltreated.

List your major work.
U.B.A… and I just shot one for M.T.N, but it’s not out yet. It’s a crowd scene. Then there’s This Day Fashion And Music Festival, and the Nigeria Television Fashion Show, T.Niger, Calabar Fashion Week, and Style Night.

How do you keep fit?
Keeping fit is one thing I love. I keep fit by going to the gym. In fact, I do that like three to four times a week. But on Saturdays, I go jogging just to keep the whole body balanced.

Your role models?
Well I would say my role model in the model industry is Tyson Beckford. I so much admire him, and I have been opportuned to work along side him on the runway at the 3rd edition of This Day Fashion and Music Festival.

Did you every think you would become a model?
I never thought or dreamt of being a model. I got into it by chance because it became an every day thing… everyone who saw me on the streets of Lagos would walk up to me asking me if I was a model. And my friends they were like, I should give this modeling thing a try. When I said no, they would get so disappointed, saying that I had the body build, the height and the face. Then I met a guy by the name of Femi who promised to introduce me to a friend of his who could be of help to me. We met the following day with his friend, who happened to be Bryan Opara – who is the current Mr. Nigeria – who then linked me up with the modelling world and that was how it all started.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Hmmm… I see myself at the top of the modeling industry, signed up to a big modelling agency in Europe, like a Polo Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein model, playing lead roles in T.V scenes. I also intend to set up a modelling school where we’d teach the upcoming models the do’s and dont’s of the industry, and groom them on how to catwalk on the runway.

Most memorable moment so far?
My memorable moment would be at the 3rd Edition of This Day Fashion and Music Festival when I was selected from among one hundred models to perform on that show. It was one event that I will never forget because I got the opportunity to meet top American models such as Tyson Beckford, Naomi Campbell, and the rest of them. It was really a night of glamour, a night of style, because I was wearing an outfit by one of the U.K.’s best designers – Ozwald Boateng – on the runway. It really was a fully packaged event with lots of fun.