Young Clerk, Ilupeju.

We went up the skeleton of Nigeria, from Lagos to Illorin in Kwara State

and all the way up to the River Niger at Jebba, where we visited the

Mungo Park Cenotaph and the National museum at Essieh. Along the

way we stopped at Ilupeju for refreshments, as it was a very arduous

journey on some terrible roads. Even though Jebba is only 85 kilometers

from Illorin, it took us four treacherous, hot and sticky hours to get there,

and there were plenty of stops along the way to give the children a break

from that journey. We ran into a lot of natives along the way like this

young girl. She and her mother ran the store together, and they also

gave us directions. Her eyes still bring a smile to my face. Thanks for

visiting.

Indeed Emmanuel, her eyes are full with optimism. 

Her smile goes all the way to her eyes; such a pleasant face that at the same time implies a little flirtatiousness.  An excellent portrait... Mike

A National Geographic quality shot of an attractive young woman. I like that what appear to be tribal tattoos are more visible in the large view. Excellent image!

Emmanuel,

  Beautiful portrait with magical colors, priceless smile & lighting.  Take care, Patsy

She is so beautiful Emmanuel - what a lovely sight after that difficult journey.

And they instantly brought a smile to my face, too--what a beautiful, sensitive portrait. And the story behind it makes it even richer in meaning. 

I must agree entirely with the comments already posted.  2 additional considerations, though, contribute to the success of this image:  the colors, design, and textures of this young lady's clothing contrasting with the smooth quality of her face; and the image's capturing not only her beauty but also her persona.