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When Chidimma Adetshina won Miss Nigeria in August, she wrote on Instagram that her crown was a "call to action," symbolizing "African unity and peaceful co-existence."
Adetshina is now the first-ever Miss Africa and Oceania, a new title awarded by a panel of Miss Universe judges. She was also first runner-up at Miss Universe, hosted in Mexico City, on November 16, earning Nigeria's highest placement in the pageant's 73-year history.
It's been a tumultuous journey for the 23-year-old, who almost didn't reach the Miss Universe stage after she withdrew from Miss South Africa following online attacks about her Nigerian name. Now, Adetshina is sharing her story with Business Insider.
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Questions began swirling around Adetshina's nationality over the summer while she was competing for Miss South Africa and appearing on the reality series "Crown Chasers."
Adetshina was born in Soweto, South Africa. Her father is Nigerian, and Adetshina told BI that online critics initially took issue with her Nigerian name.
"People felt I wasn't South African enough because my name is Chidimma. That's how the whole thing started," she said.
Adetshina faced a wave of xenophobic messages on platforms like X and Instagram. Gayton McKenzie — South Africa's minister of sports, arts, and culture — said Adetshina's participation in the Miss South Africa pageant gave him "funny vibes."
"We truly cannot have Nigerians compete in our Miss SA competition," he wrote on July 29 in a message on X. McKenzie did not respond to a request for comment from BI.
Adetshina said she couldn't stop reading the hateful comments.
"I found myself really listening to what people were saying and thinking, even though it was really unhealthy for me mentally," she told BI, adding that she had to delete X and limit comments on TikTok to "avoid all the negativity."
South Africa's Department of Home Affairs launched an investigation into Adetshina's citizenship following a request from the Miss South Africa organization.
In a statement released on August 7, the department said it had reason to believe that Adetshina's mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman in 2001. The department added that "Adetshina could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother, as she was an infant at the time."
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The Department of Home Affairs announced on October 29 that it would strip Adetshina and her mother of their South African identity and travel documents, the BBC reported. The Miss South Africa organization and the Department of Home Affairs did not respond to a request for comment from BI.
Adetshina told BI she plans to relocate to Nigeria to escape the "really toxic" environment she has experienced in South Africa, adding that she believes the situation has been "very unfair" to her.
"I've lived in South Africa for 23 years," Adetshina said. "I've played netball for the Western Cape and the Western Province. I've never ever been in a situation where I've faced this amount of hate or backlash, and I've always used my first name."
"I'm not upset about the whole identity thing," she added. "I'm upset at the fact that they already did not accept me because of my Nigerian roots."
Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant on August 8, writing on Instagram that it was "for the safety and well-being of my family." Less than a week later, she was invited to compete for the Miss Nigeria title, which she won on August 31.
"I felt like it was so in alignment with what I wanted, which was to walk the Miss Universe stage," Adetshina told BI. "For me to get the offer, I still felt like it was a way for me to achieve my dreams."
Adetshina said competing at Miss Universe was "amazing" and that she'd always remember the sweet gifts the pageant fans in Mexico City gave her.
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"Those were very memorable for me because I always felt like I wasn't getting the hype that most girls were getting on the social-media platforms," Adetshina said. "I think I came out as the underdog because people never really saw that coming."
Adetshina said it was tough to shake off everything she had experienced over the past few months during the competition.
"I didn't get the best experience like everyone else because I already had a very tough journey," she said. "I didn't get that joy I was looking for because I was already emotionally and mentally exhausted. I was weak most days."
"But this was something that I've always wanted," she added. "So I always tried to find something that made me happy throughout the journey."
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Adetshina had already made history for Nigeria when she reached the top five of Miss Universe. Then it was just her and Miss Denmark Victoria Kjaer Theilvig onstage, holding hands as they waited to hear the winner's name.
"It was such an exciting moment for me," Adetshina told BI. "I honestly felt so proud of myself that I got to make history for Nigeria. And not only for Nigeria, it was also a very fulfilling moment for me because I got to achieve one of my dreams."
While Adetshina felt like she had a "point to prove" to her online critics, she also realized she had a point to prove to herself.
"I always felt like I wasn't really good enough, and I wasn't capable of winning or even placing," Adetshina said. "As much as I had a journey of growth and learning a lot about myself and my confidence, I was still doubting myself and not thinking so highly of myself."
"The biggest lesson I've learned is that I am capable, and I should not allow people to dictate my life and my journey," she added. "My future is always going to be in my hands."
