AS the search for the next Miss Universe Nigeria (MUN) comes to a close today, Saturday, August 31, all eyes are on the different contestants vying for the coveted title.
The finale which is set to hold at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos will have 25 ladies battle for the crown.
At the finale, the ladies are set to wow the audience at different rounds of the competition where they will show up in different attires to showcase the rich Nigerian culture.
There will also be a swimsuit and evening gown competition where the ladies will strut the runway in their different swimsuits and long dresses for that category of the competition.
The winner is set to go home with a prize worth N10 million and represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico this November while the first runner-up will represent the country in the Miss Supranational pageant next year.
In 2001, Agbani Darego, the first African Miss World had a top 10 finish before going to contest at Miss World. Also, Nigeria’s representative in 2019, Olutosin Araromi, was placed in the top 20.
Following the recent uproar surrounding the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, especially the Nigerian-South African Chidimma Adetshina who joined the contest late, after withdrawing from a similar competition in South Africa over xenophobic attacks, Nigeria has garnered attention from the international pageant community as well as non-pageant fans worldwide.
However, everyone is eager to see who will take home the title this year.
The ICIR highlights some major contestants in this year’s competition.
Chidimma Adetshina (Miss Taraba)
Chidimma Adetshina is a Nigerian-South African model, who faced backlash from South Africans after making it to the top 16 at the Miss South Africa pageant. Consequently, she withdrew from the competition.
Following her withdrawal, she was invited by the Miss Universe Nigeria organisation to participate at the 2024 Miss Universe Nigeria pageant competition which she accepted.
She is representing Taraba State at the contest.
Nyekachi Douglas (Miss Rivers)
Douglas is not a new face in the pageant industry as she has held major titles.
The Nigerian model emerged as the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 2019 and represented Nigeria at the Miss World pageant where she finished as Miss World top model and Miss World Africa the same year.
She grew into prominence and became many people’s favourite after her reaction when Toni-Ann Signh from Jamaica won the Miss World title in 2019.
Douglas competed at the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant in 2023 but finished in the top 15. Returning again this year, she is one of the top contenders for the crown.
Ufa Dania (Miss Kwara)
Ufa Dania is the first plus-sized Nigerian to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.
The new Miss Universe policy embraces inclusivity, equality and empowerment, throwing away the traditional pageant standards of being ‘beautiful’.
Dania said she is proud to represent curvy women and claims she is in the competition “to show that you can be curvy, smart, intelligent and not fit into one specific box to be a queen”.