Chidinma Adetshina, who withdrew from Miss South Africa 2024 pageant over a social media uproar about her nationality, has won Miss Universe Nigeria 2024.
The 23-year-old with a Nigerian father and mother from Mozambique, represented Taraba State in the pageant on Saturday.
Adetshina defeated four other finalists: Miss Rivers State, Miss Anambra State, Miss Ondo State and Miss Edo State, to clinch the title.
She will be representing Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico in November, while Miss Anambra, the first runner-up, will participate in the Miss Supranational pageant.
Adetshina, who won the grand prize of N10 million, described her emergence as the winner as a call to action.
Speaking before she emerged victorious in an interview with Arise Television, 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.”
When asked if she would have participated in the pageant if she was not invited, Adetshina 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.
“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.
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“I’m grateful for all the love and the support.
“I don’t think anybody deserves to be treated differently or feel unaccepted or unloved or whatever.
“So I’m really grateful because I’ve seen the support, I’ve seen the love.
“I thought, you know, most of it was all hate, but I’ve seen the love and I’m so grateful, because that is actually what fuels me, that is what gives me joy, that is what makes me motivated to actually continue thriving in my everyday life and my dreams as well.
“So, I’m really grateful for them.”
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