Chief Opral Benson An Ageless Beauty

Old age is often associated with frailty and forgetfulness, but that cannot be said of Chief Opral Benson, who appeared to be both agile and sharp-minded, with a clear recollection of things around her. Vanessa Obioha spent an afternoon with her and captured her essence

Rule number one: You do not schedule a meeting without letting Chief Opral Benson know ahead of time. I learned this firsthand when I arrived at her palatial home in Oniru, Victoria Island, one Friday afternoon. Apart from a group of men who seemed to be her security personnel seated in the large compound, the place was quiet. I briefly introduced myself to the gateman, who called the house to inform them that Chief Benson had a visitor. I was later ushered in by a man who seemed to be one of her assistants. He introduced me to a lady who escorted me into the grand living room where Chief Benson often spends her time.

“Sit down, she will join you soon,” the lady offered.

Within a few minutes, Chief Benson emerged, dressed in black tights and an orange top. Her face was fresh and clean, as if she had just finished a beauty routine, without any makeup. I rose to greet her; she responded and asked me to sit down. Then came a barrage of questions that threw me off balance for a moment.

“Who are you?”

I introduced myself.

“How can I help you?”

I explained that I was there to interview her. Apparently, my contact, a family member, had forgotten to mention the interview to her. She didn’t like that, as she prefers to be informed of her meetings in advance. She also felt she had given too many interviews already—what more could be said about her that wasn’t already out there?

Indeed, there is much about her in the public domain. Whether it’s her heritage as a member of the aristocratic Americo-Liberian community in Liberia, courtesy of her paternal great-grandfather and grandfather, who were immigrants from South Carolina, or how she changed her name from Opal, given to her by an aunt, to Opral because she felt the meaning of Opal—a precious stone—did not resonate with her. Or perhaps it’s her establishment of the Opral Benson Beauty Training Institute, which continues to operate today. She has also made significant contributions to female empowerment and has played important roles in the cultural sphere. Her multiple chieftaincy titles attest to her influence. Her business card boldly displays them all: from Iya Oge of Lagos and Yeye L’afin of Ode-Remo to Iya Mokun and Iya Mosa of Egbaland.

Recently, she clocked 90 and drums were rolled out to lavishly celebrate her for her attainments.

Her home also speaks volumes of her love for art and culture. From the ground floor to the top floor, there are clusters of captivating cultural artifacts and paintings. Her expansive living room boasts numerous pictures of her with friends and families, capturing precious moments.

Another well-known chapter of Chief Benson’s life is her marriage to the late former Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Culture in the first post-independence government, Chief Theophilus Benson (also known as T.O.S. Benson). Their love story has been recounted many times in the media.

Having returned to Liberia from the United States, where she earned a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts in Education from Morris Brown University and Atlanta University, Benson had already gained notable status in her country, including a role in the Department of Agriculture. In 1961, she was appointed Assistant Secretary General of the Monrovia bloc of African States conference, in preparation for the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU).

It was during her work at the conference that she caught the attention of the late minister. A simple hello soon blossomed into a union, and by 1962, they were happily married. Her husband, however, passed away in 2008, at age 90—the same age Chief Benson had turned on February 7, 2025.

“There are many memories of him,” she later told me, “because with him, we went to a lot of places together. I got to be a part of his hometown, which is Ikorodu. I went there to visit with him. We stayed there sometimes. We had a building that we used to stay in, and he’d been a former Minister of Nigeria. There were a lot of activities that he attended, and rather, he performed himself. So I’m always part of it because I’m part of whatever he does. So I really, really, really, was sad when he left me and went away. But of course, we cannot help that, and our ages were different.”

Old age is often associated with frailty and forgetfulness, but that cannot be said of Chief Benson, who appeared to be both agile and sharp-minded, with a clear recollection of things around her. She still climbs the stairs of her home daily, unaided. When I attempted to help her rise from the sofa, she declined and stood up by herself.

In one corner of her large living room is a stack of newspapers and magazines. There are also books, including her biography, which captures her essence. She gave me a brief overview of the things she enjoys doing—and no, cooking is not one of them.

“I like to read a lot. I read newspapers every day, I read magazines,” she said. “And I have a beauty shop which will do, more or less, train young people how to look after themselves and other people. So I go there sometimes, I like to do that; and interact with younger people. And what else do I like to do? I like to make sure that I know what is happening in the country, because I have a few friends that I might talk to in case I’m not around for this thing or that thing, and they’ll tell me what is happening. I just want to be part of society.”

When asked the last time she visited Liberia, she wasn’t slow in remembering that she was there four years ago to visit family.

To clear any doubt about her mental sharpness, she said: “People in this country expect that when you’re 90, you’re supposed to be retired, but I’m still climbing up these steps, going to my office, doing what I want to do. Most times I sit over there”—she pointed to a section of the living room—“by that window, get some fresh air, and do other things.”

A notable aspect of Chief Benson’s life is her long-standing passion for beauty and fashion for which she holds the chieftaincy title of Iya Oge of Lagos. She is regarded as a pioneer in the Nigerian beauty industry, particularly with the establishment of the Opral Benson Beauty Training Institute. Over the years, the institute has evolved and become a place where people of all ages learn the art of being presentable.

“You must always look right, look proper—not the way I’m looking now, as I wasn’t expecting you,” she joked. “But I believe that the beauty and fashion industry is very important.”

She continued: “I think what the younger generation learnt from me is that one has to look and behave the best way that they can. Look better, behave better. All of that is beauty. So that if you’re a beautician, you can help other people to bring themselves forward and look okay. And I think that this is the reason why I went into beauty training.  To make people feel that they are special.”

Her concept of beauty is even more instructive.

“Beauty is something which one should really pay some attention to because the more you do beauty, the more you are respected; the more people like you, the more you make contributions to young people. And I think beauty is an industry that really has grown in Nigeria and in Africa for a long time, and I think it should continue to do so. So beauty is something that we should never throw away.”

As the interview came to a close, Chief Benson shared her thoughts on Nigeria’s future.

“I want to make sure that everybody will continue to respect Nigeria. This country deserves a lot of respect from all the people; younger people, older people. The country has done a lot for everybody that has come through it. What I want to see is that it should not fall apart. And if more people want to get involved in pushing Nigeria forward, they should do it. Because I think Nigeria is a very special country in Africa, and it should really be promoted by all of those people who feel that they are Nigerians, or they love Nigerians or have families in Nigeria. So I think that Nigeria is really on top and should continue to move forward.”