Nigerian-born Chidinma Adetshina on Sunday, November 17, 2024 made history as she emerged the first runner-up of the 2024 Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in far away Mexico City. The keenly contested pageant is the 73rd in the series.
Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjaer Theilvig, beat 126 other contestants from around the globe, including 18 African countries, to claim the prestigious crown in a dazzling finale.
Adetshina was born in Soweto, South Africa 22 years ago to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother. A law student and a model, Adetshina was raised in Cape Town.
According to reports, Adetshina's stunning rise to the first runner-up position was due to her "eloquence and poise, particularly her compelling responses on diversity and respect for humanity".
Adetshina's meteoric rise to the top was laced with some challenges but providence bailed her out of the challenge. Since they live in South Africa, Adetshina participated in the Miss Universe South Africa and emerged as one of the 12 finalists. Until her emergence as a finalist, nobody raised an eyebrow about her nationality or eligibility.
The moment she emerged a finalist, the South Africans saw her as a threat that could deprive a potential South African winner from securing the crown. They started a smear campaign about her nationality. She started receiving hate messages and threats, forcing her to announce her withdrawal from the South African version of the competition for reasons of safety.
At that point, Silverbird Group, organisers of the Nigerian version of the Miss Universe, offered her a lifeline to contest. Not satisfied that she had withdrawn from their competition, the South Africans followed Adetshina to Nigeria through their votes. South African voters voted massively for another Nigerian candidate, all in a bid to block Adetshina's chances.
In spite of the antics of the South Africans, Adetshina still emerged as winner of the Nigerian version, paving way for her to represent Nigeria at the global showpiece. Again, the South Africans followed Adetshina to Mexico with their inexplicable hatred. This time they petitioned her but the petition came to nought. In spite of all these distractions Adetshina, in the typical Nigerian resilient spirit, continued to forge ahead in her quest for glory.
From the lot of 126 contestants, Adetshina inched her way to the top 30 along with other contestants from Bolivia, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Russia, Chile, Thailand, Canada, and Peru. She took it a notch further as she made it to the top five and ultimately becoming one of the final two contenders for the crown.
We gathered that "the event highlighted not only beauty but also the depth of character and intellect of its contestants and the Nigerian representative, Adetshina stood out at every stage of the competition, from her striking national costume to her eloquent responses during the final round of questioning. Throughout the competition, she skillfully wove narratives of resilience and hope, proudly showcasing her Nigerian roots to the world".
She may have come second but she stole the show with her incredible and commanding performance which has earned her global attention. Her poise, grace and intelligence left a lasting impression on both fans and judges alike. With her performance, she has carved a niche for herself as a role model, inspiring women to strive for excellence wherever they find themselves.
Her performance at the beauty pageant is a reflection of the power of resilience, talent, authenticity and pride in African heritage. Her achievement as first runner-up is a proud moment for Nigeria. She did not win the coveted crown but she won the hearts of millions of people and elevated Nigeria's status on the global stage.
In a post-event interview, an elated Adetshina simply said: “I’m so excited. I don’t have words to describe what I’m feeling right now, but I’m so proud of myself, and I just made history!”
Reacting to Adetshina's feat, Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa State Council, Comrade Stanley Imgbi said, "her performance is a reflection of our national character of resilience. In spite of the cyber bullying by the South Africans, she didn't give up but forged ahead and eventually emerged as first runner-up. I wish her the very best in her future endeavours".
Her performance reminds one of Agbani Darego's groundbreaking win as Miss World in 2001. With her captivating display of brain and beauty, Adetshina joins scores of other young Nigerians who are making the country proud through the arts, sports and entertainment.
