Opinion – By Abdul Lauya
The launch of Big Brother Naija Season 10, aptly themed “10/10,” has exploded into national conversation, not for a task or twist, but for the appearance of Farida Sultana Ibrahim, the curvy contestant from Adamawa State, whose outfit left viewers and critics stunned.
Draped in what many online have called “nothing but a tease,” the Northern beauty, a graduate of Mass Communication from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, strutted into the Big Brother house in an outfit that barely concealed her chest.
The cleavage-baring ensemble, which some critics described as “naked dressing,” has sparked outrage across religious, cultural, and social media spaces, especially among conservative Northerners and Muslim viewers.
While BBNaija is no stranger to scandal or skin, Sultana’s Hausa-Fulani and Muslim identity is what’s turning this moment into something bigger than just fashion.
For many Nigerians, particularly those from the North, her outfit is not just bold, but blasphemous, sparking questions around religious hypocrisy, moral erosion, and generational shifts in values.
“So this is what our daughters from the North are becoming?” one online commentator asked. “We judged others. Now we are worse?”
Known in the beauty and modeling world, Sultana has always been unapologetic about her curves. She says her appearance on the show is meant to inspire confidence among plus-sized and curvy women. In her words, “I want women to love themselves, fully and without shame.”
But not everyone sees it that way. Her critics argue that confidence shouldn’t come at the cost of modesty, especially for someone hailing from a region steeped in conservative Islamic values. Others have noted the double standard in Nigerian society, where Southern Christian girls have long been slammed for dressing provocatively, only for a Northern contestant to take the controversy even further.
Some Muslim viewers feel betrayed, calling her entrance a “slap in the face” of their values. Yet, others are defending her freedom of expression, pointing to the personal hypocrisy and public voyeurism often at play when morality becomes selective.
More broadly, Sultana’s appearance is a sign of what this BBNaija season might become: bolder, less restrained, and morally provocative. Already, fans and critics alike are predicting a season laced with explicit drama, sexual tension, and cultural confrontations.
Whether Farida Sultana is remembered as a trailblazer or a transgressor remains to be seen. But her first night in the house has already done what BBNaija does best: start a national conversation.
