Chidimma Adetshina, a beauty pageant contestant who faced a wave of hostility in South Africa after questions arose about her nationality, has been crowned Miss Universe Nigeria.
Adetshina, age 23, triumphed at the pageant held in Lagos on Saturday night. She will represent Nigeria in the Miss Universe competition in Mexico in November.
Last month, she quit the Miss South Africa contest after becoming the target of xenophobic online attacks and later accepted an invitation to compete in the Nigerian pageant.
Many South Africans had questioned her eligibility to participate in their country’s contest after reports emerged that she was born to a Nigerian father and a South African mother with Mozambican roots.
Organizers of Miss Universe Nigeria said at the time that Adetshina’s invitation was “an opportunity to represent her father’s native land on an international stage.” They added that her “journey in pageantry is far from over.”
Writing on Instagram after her victory, Adetshina said it was “a dream come true,” describing the crown as “not just a symbol of beauty” but “a call to action” for a united Africa.
“As I accept this honor, I want to share a vision that burns deeply within me, a vision of African unity and peaceful coexistence!” she wrote in a statement on her Instagram page.
“Let’s break down the barriers that divide us. Let’s foster a continent where every African can move freely without prejudice, pursue their dreams, and contribute to the growth and prosperity of our great continent,” the statement added.
South African authorities say they are working to clarify Adetshina’s citizenship status after the country’s Home Affairs department, which oversees immigration, said her mother may have committed identity fraud to obtain South African citizenship in 2001.
The department, however, exonerated Adetshina of any wrongdoing, saying she was just an infant at the time.
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