Chidimma Adetshina is the new Miss Universe Nigeria.
The Soweto-born beauty queen who brought a lot of controversy around her before winning the title, was among 25 contestants who were gunning for the crown.
That drama started at the beginning of last month, when the 23-year-old was in the Top 14 of Miss South Africa 2024.
But Adetshina was forced to withdraw from the competition on the eve of the 10 August finale, after Home Affairs found prima facie evidence her Mozambican mother and Nigerian father may have committed identity fraud when she was born, raising question marks around her citizenship in South Africa.
She was instead invited to join Miss Universe Nigeria and bagged the title before the month was out.
I present to you Queen Chidimma Adetshina, Miss Universe Nigeria 2024. 🍾 🎊 pic.twitter.com/tb9qI2xi1Y
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) August 31, 2024
During the Lagos-staged pageant, Adetshina said her advocacy would be inclusion, unity and acceptance, clearly taking dig at Mzansi after saying last week that “it was safe to say” that she won’t be returning.
The now married Ugochi Mitchel Ukuchukwu, who is Miss Universe Nigeria 2023 crowned her successor, Chidimma Adetshina.
Not only does Adetshina get to represent Nigeria at a global stage, Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico, November 16. The beauty queen also won a cash prize of more than R100,000.
The first runner-up, Miss Anambra, Paula Ezendu, was crowned Miss Supranational Nigeria, and she is going to have a chance to represent Nigeria at the Miss Supranational beauty pageant in Poland.
The second runner up, who was representing Ondo State, Peace Ayegbidun was crowned Miss Lush 2024.
Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 was surrounded with a lot of controversy when Adetshina got invited to participate in the beauty pageant.
South Africans rallied behind her as she went to Nigeria to participate in this beauty pageant.
Netizens even voted for her and she led with votes for almost two weeks until they also backed plus size model Ifa Dania, who represented Kwara state surpassed her with the number votes, days before the finale.
The beauty pageant got heavily criticised by South Africans as they were not happy with the set up as many claimed that it looked like a low budget beauty affair.