In a fiercely contested Miss Universe 2024 pageant, Nigeria’s representative Chidimma Adetshina emerged the first runner-up, making her the first Nigerian to finish in that position in the contest’s history.
Denmark’s Victoria Kjaer Theilvig was crowned the winner of the 73rd Miss Universe pageant at Arena CDMX in Mexico City.
Chidimma’s journey to the Miss Universe competition was quite tumultuous. Before coming to Nigeria to take the Miss Universe Nigeria crown, she contested in South Africa where she was forced to withdraw before the finals following a nationality controversy.
Born to a Nigerian father in South Africa, the 23-year-old withdrew from the country’s competition “for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I” after a backlash that exposed anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa.
Her Nigerian heritage attracted vicious xenophobic attacks and sparked controversy when she was announced as Miss South Africa finalist in July. The country’s government said it was investigating a claim that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.
Despite not being in the country in 20 years, organisers of the Nigerian contest invited her to join their final, saying it was a chance for her to “represent your father’s native land on an international stage”.
The nationality controversy notwithstanding, Adetshina insisted she loved South Arica and was grateful for the support from the country.
Minutes before she was pronounced first runner-up, the gorgeous African told the audience that she stood on the stage not as “Chidinma Adetshina, but a symbol of faith, a beacon of faith, as someone who has perceived with grace, I believe I have fought for not only myself, but for Africa.”