Miss Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has spoken of her pride at coming second in the Miss Universe competition, as well as being named Miss Africa and Oceania.
“I’m so proud of myself and I just made history,” she said, shortly after losing out to Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjær Theilvig.
Adetshina originally competed in the Miss South Africa contest, as she was born and grew up in the country, however she was subjected to trolling and xenophobic abuse because her father is Nigerian.
Last month, the South African authorities said they would strip her of her identity papers, following allegations that her mother, who has Mozambican roots, had committed identity fraud to gain South African nationality.
Neither Adetshina nor her mother have commented on the allegations. South African authorities pointed out that Adetshina could not have participated in any alleged fraud as she was an infant at the time.
After the furore in South Africa, and the doubts about her nationality, she competed in the Miss Nigeria competition, which she won to qualify for the Miss Universe contest held in Mexico City.
The eventual winner of Miss South Africa, Mia le Roux, pulled out of Miss Universe last week citing an undisclosed medical condition. She was the first deaf woman to become Miss South Africa.
In September, Adetshina, a law student, told that she still saw herself as “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian”.
But after Miss Universe South Africa tweeted to congratulate her on her second place, along with both South African and Nigerian flags, some South Africans responded by saying she did not represent them.
In her interview, Adetshina said she would be seeking therapy to help her deal with the trauma following the abuse she was subjected to.
She is the highest placed black African woman in Miss Universe since South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi won the competition in 2019.