Chidimma Adetshina, the newly crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, has shared her emotional journey of facing rejection and criticism in South Africa due to her Nigerian heritage.
Recall that Chidimma Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant following the backlash with many questioning her citizenship and identity despite living in South Africa for 23 years.
Chidimma revealed that South Africans couldn’t allow her represent them because of her name.
She said, “It all started because of my name. People were unhappy that my name was Chidimma and that I was representing South Africa. They felt I wasn’t South African enough because of my name. It was heartbreaking to see that I wasn’t welcomed and accepted, even though I’ve lived there for 23 years”.
Following this, the Miss Universe Nigeria organisers invited her to represent Taraba State in their 2024 pageant.
In an interview with Silverbird Television, Chidimma recounted the painful experience, stating that it was heartbreaking to see that she wasn’t welcomed and accepted, even though she had lived there for 23 years. She withdrew from the competition due to the intense criticism and later received an invitation to represent Taraba State in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, which she won.
Adetshina expressed her gratitude for the love and acceptance she received in Nigeria, saying, “The love I’ve received has been exceptional, not just from the organization and the girls but from Nigeria and all over.”
She is now preparing to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant in Mexico and is determined to make a positive impact.
