A former Nigerian beauty queen, Omowunmi Akinnifesi, has revealed that she is still a virgin at 37.

Omowunmi, who got the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) title in 2005, stated this in a video online while celebrating her birthday.

According to her, she made a covenant with God at the age of 18 – the year she won MBGN – that she would maintain chastity till marriage.

She said: "Personally, I had a covenant with God when I was 18 about keeping myself.

"People will say celibate but I've never done before.

"Because I had kept myself, I walked in shame for a very very long time. I was actually very ashamed of it and I had friends that I couldn't talk to. When I finally spoke to them, they will laugh at me.

"And then, even worse, the stories that I'll hear about myself, that I've dated this person, or I was with this person. Those stories, would you believe that I actually didn't mind those stories because it helped mask the real me.

"Imagine being OK with negative stories about you because you're masking something you thought was going to be an embarrassment. Something like virginity."

She continued that even though it was difficult for her, it would be harder in this present clime when "everyone is so open about their sexuality" and she can't imagine what younger women choosing to toe the same line are going through.

Omowunmi, who turned 37 on Dec 4, added in the caption that "it feels good to come out of the closet".