- Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina shared her emotional journey to the title, including her forced withdrawal from the Miss South African pageant due to citizenship issues.
- In a BBC News Pidgin interview, she tearfully recounted the pain of being rejected by South Africans after 23 years, solely due to her name.
Clutching the coveted title of Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina’s journey to the throne was far from effortless.
Representing Taraba State, she will now proudly represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico. In a heart-to-heart interview with BBC News Pidgin, Chidimma unveiled the difficulties she faced, including her forced withdrawal from the Miss South African pageant due to citizenship issues.
As she delved into the emotional narrative, Chidimma’s voice cracked, and tears streamed down her face. The painful memories still lingered, and she confessed that revisiting the experience was a daunting task. With a heavy heart, she recounted the anguish of being rejected by South Africans, her home of 23 years, solely because of her name.
Chidimma’s story is a testament to her unwavering resilience and determination. Despite the setbacks, she emerged stronger, her spirit unbroken.
She said:
“It has been a hectic one, I think I’ve been avoiding it because it’s so emotional for me. I just cried earlier because I think I need to get used to talking about it.
It’s not a nice feeling at all and I think I’ve been avoiding it a lot, but it’s now starting to cloud and affect me, and I will have to deal with it and not suppress it.
What happened wasn’t a minor thing; it was a really major thing, but I will be okay.
South Africans felt I wasn’t South African enough because of my name. I lived there for 23 years. It’s heartbreaking to see I wasn’t welcome and accepted”.
See the post below:
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“South Africans felt I wasn’t South African enough because of my name…. I had lived there for 23 years. It’s heartbreaking to see I wasn’t welcome and accepted”
The moment Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina broke down during an interview. pic.twitter.com/y934hLuc5b
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) September 3, 2024