Miss Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has made headlines after coming in second place in the Miss Universe competition and being crowned Miss Africa and Oceania.
Despite not taking home the ultimate title, Adetshina expressed her pride in her accomplishments, stating, “I’m so proud of myself and I just made history.”
Adetshina faced challenges on her journey to the Miss Universe stage. She initially competed in the Miss South Africa contest, where she faced trolling and xenophobic abuse due to her Nigerian heritage.
The situation escalated when South African authorities announced they would revoke her identity papers over allegations of identity fraud by her mother to gain South African nationality.
While Adetshina and her mother have not addressed these allegations, authorities confirmed that she could not have been involved in any fraudulent activities as she was just an infant at the time.
In response to the controversy, Adetshina decided to compete in the Miss Nigeria pageant, which she went on to win, earning her a spot at the Miss Universe competition in Mexico City.
The road to Miss Universe was not without its hurdles as the original winner of Miss South Africa, Mia le Roux, had to withdraw from the competition due to a medical condition.
Despite the challenges, Adetshina, a law student, remains proud of her dual heritage, describing herself as both “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian.”
However, Adetshina faced further backlash from some South Africans who claimed she did not represent them.
In light of the abuse she received, Adetshina revealed in a BBC interview that she plans to seek therapy to cope with the trauma. Nonetheless, her second-place finish at Miss Universe makes her the highest-ranking black African woman in the competition since South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi claimed the title in 2019.
