Chidimma Adetshina has emerged winner of Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 pageant, after xenophobic backlash forced her withdrawal from a South African pageant.
The 23-year-old law student came to Nigeria afterwards, accepting to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 pageant competition.
Guy Murray-Bruce, President of Silverbird Group, organisers of the competition, announced Adetshina as the winner at the grand finale which held at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos, on Saturday night.
The competition had a total of 25 participants.
Miss Adetshina, earlier stated in an interview with ARISE NEWS, that she believed that her being invited to take part in Miss Universe Nigeria is a second chance given to her to achieve one of her biggest dreams and goals, which is pageantry.
Adetshina said, “I am so excited, I just feel like this is a second chance in achieving one of my biggest dreams and my biggest goals, and I’m really excited. I’ve always wanted to be a model, I wasn’t really educated on pageantry and all of that.
“When I first knew what pageantry was, it was in 2017, and that’s when I told myself I want to be the next Miss Universe. So, for me, it’s just a thing of I had goals and I set them for myself, and I’m here to achieve them. So, I think I’m just aligning with what I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m really grateful for that.”
However, when asked if she would have participated in the pageant if she was not invited, she said, “No, I wouldn’t, because I wouldn’t have known if I was able to. And also, it has been long since I’ve been here (Nigeria). But I also saw the comments and I was like, maybe this is something I should try out, but then, obviously, the invitation came out and I was really excited that I was given that opportunity, so that’s why I took it as quick as possible.”
Despite that, she said, “Ever since I’ve gotten here, I’ve only received so much love and encouragement from all of the girls. So, I came in here thinking that a lot of them will feel some type of way about the invitation and about me actually coming, but I can guarantee the words of encouragement, the support I’ve been given by these amazing women has been there, and I’m just really happy that they accept me, and that they are not feeling some type of way after receiving all the critiques and the comments about this advantage that people might feel that I might have had.
