Buwa was born in Paddington, London, but at age 7 moved to Nigeria with her mother, a teacher and Nigerian Airways' head of catering.
She attended Government College, Ikorodu where she showed interest in reading, debating, and track and field sports, and enrolled at the University of Maiduguri to study English Language.
The judges defended their decision on grounds that Onuaguluchi, whose height was a mere 5'6", stood a lesser chance than her taller rivals at the forthcoming Miss Intercontinental.
[4] Buwa - who later acquired a Law degree from the University of North London - [5] was subsequently employed as an attorney and a social worker for special needs children whilst working part-time as a model in Ohio and writing for The Diasporan Star, an American-based Nigerian magazine.
In 2009, Buwa returned to Nigeria where the Delta state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, supported her programme "Rise" which helped meet the needs of people with disabilities.