CHANGING THE NARRATIVE: MODELING NOT GAY AS THE NARRATIVE IN A NIGERIAN SOCIETY.
In Nigeria today, modeling is still one of the most misunderstood professions.
Beyond the lights, the runways, and the edited Instagram photos lies a system that is built on discipline, resilience, trust, and constant hard work.
However, many people still reduce modeling to conversations about sexuality or assume that models exist only as objects of sexual validation. This narrative is not only false, it is harmful to the growth of the industry and to the young professionals trying to build honest careers.
This is my perspective from inside the system;
The Reality of Building Models From Scratch:
People see finished products, not the process.
Scouting alone is stressful. You will need to walk through streets, campuses, events, and social spaces searching for talent, at some point, facial beauty does not matter, only that you see possible potential at the end. Sometimes you see confidence hiding inside insecurity. Sometimes you see greatness inside someone who doesn’t even believe in themselves yet.
Then comes training, training is not just about:
Walking
Posing
Looking good in front of cameras
It is more also about teaching;
Emotional strength
Professional discipline
Personal boundaries
Social intelligence
How to survive public criticism
Because the Nigerian society can be harsh to people who choose unconventional career paths.
One of the biggest parts of management is convincing a young model that:
“You are safe here. This is professional. This is structured. This is clean.”
Because the industry has been stained by stories of exploitation, some real, some exaggerated, some completely false, trust is something you must build daily.
The Hidden Challenges Agencies Face:
Beyond training, there are internal struggles people don’t see:
Staff inconsistency
Financial pressure
Placement negotiations
Brand alignment struggles
Rejection cycles
Getting placements is not magic, it is emails, calls, follow-ups, rejection, and persistence.
Sometimes you fight harder for a model’s opportunity than they even understand.
The Dangerous Narrative: “Every Model Is Gay or a Sex Tool”:
This is one of the most damaging stereotypes in Nigerian society. Many people automatically assume:
Male models are gay
Female models are sexual objects
Modeling is morally loose
Agencies are suspicious
This mindset has destroyed opportunities, confidence, and sometimes families’ support systems.
The truth? There are people:
Paying school fees from modeling
Supporting families
Traveling internationally
Building brands
Creating generational opportunities
Modeling is work, Modeling is structure, Modeling is branding, marketing, and performance.
Parents Need To Be More Open:
Because at the end of everything, not every child will become:
Doctor
Lawyer
Engineer
Some will become something that even they can’t afford an explanation to, which includes;
Brand faces
Runway professionals
Commercial talents
Creative industry leaders
Parents should engage, ask questions, monitor environments, but not shut doors out of fear or stereotypes. Sometimes modeling is not distraction.
Sometimes it is destiny meeting opportunity.
An Experience That Stayed With Me:
I remember watching a video of FSmodelsmgnt documenting:
Scouting
Training
Development
Debut of a new face for Louis Vuitton
It was raw, It was rare, It showed the real journey of opportunity meeting preparation. But when Nigerian news platforms posted it, the comment sections were disappointing. Instead of: “Congratulations”, “Proud, moment”, “This is inspiring”.
Many comments went straight to sexuality assumptions and negative narratives.
It showed clearly that many people still cannot separate modeling from sex or sexuality. And that is dangerous for young talents watching from afar.
People Fail To See Models As Professionals, Models are:
Brand communicators
Visual storytellers
Marketing assets
Creative collaborators
But society often reduces them to bodies instead of professionals. And that reduction damages confidence, careers, and industry respect.
A Personal Social Media Experience: (photo owned by Degma Models Management)
We once recreated a beautiful Wesper-inspired photo (WeHeartIt reference aesthetic). When we posted it, I expected: Encouragement, Creative feedback, Industry conversations. Instead, many comments focused on questioning the model’s sexuality.
The congratulations were almost silent. Moments like that show how far we still need to go as a society.
My Conclusion:
Modeling is not sexuality, Modeling is not moral failure, Modeling is not a shortcut to anything.l, Modeling is work.
And like every profession, it deserves:
Respect
Structure
Professional boundaries
Understanding
Nigeria has world-class faces, Nigeria has global potential. But until we change how we see models, we will keep limiting how far our talents can go.
It is time to change the narrative.