The 23-year-old Chidinma Adetshina, forced to withdraw from the Miss South Africa 2024 pageant after social media uproar about her nationality, has emerged Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, with the grand prize of N10 million.
Xenophobic media attacks had forced her to withdraw, after South African netizens protested the possibility of a Nigerian-fathered competitor winning their country’s beauty pageant.
A White South African later won that contest.
Permitted by organisers to make a late entry, Chidinma represented Taraba State in the pageant as the 25th contestant.
She was born and raised in South Africa.
“This crown is not just for beauty; it’s a call for unity,” she stated after she was crowned.
In clinching the title, she defeated four other finalists: Miss Rivers State, Miss Anambra State, Miss Ondo State and Miss Edo State.
Her victory means she will be representing Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico this November.
First runner-up, Miss Anambra will participate in the Miss Supranational pageant.
