The organisers of Miss Universe Nigeria have reached out to Chidimma Adetshina to compete in the 2024 pageant.
The controversial Chidinma, a competitor in the Miss South Africa competition, has been embroiled in controversy regarding her eligibility to compete in the national beauty pageant.
The 23-year-old South African native was raised in Soweto. Her mother is from Mozambique, and her father is from Nigeria.
After she advanced to the round of 16, last month, the question over her nationality quickly gained pace on social media platforms.
Some X users called for her disqualification after she received heavy criticism for competing in the competition.
Later, in order to ascertain Chidimma’s nationality, the South African Ministry of Home Affairs would begin an investigation.
Preliminary evidence points to Chidimma’s mother possibly committing fraud and identity theft, according to claims made on Wednesday by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for South Africa.
After the inquiry, the Nigerian-born model withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition.
For the “safety of my family and I,” Chidimma stated that she has decided to withdraw from the tournament.
The model received an invitation to compete in this year’s competition from Miss Universe Nigeria via a statement on Friday.
The pageant organisers said Chidimma will have the “opportunity to represent your father’s native land on an international stage”.
“We believe that your journey in the world of pageantry is far from over and that there are still numerous opportunities for you to showcase your talent, grace and beauty,” the statement reads.
“As a Nigerian by heritage, we would like to formally invite you to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 pageant.
“This is an opportunity to represent your father’s native land on an international stage, and we believe you would be an outstanding contender.
“We encourage you to consider this opportunity and take part in a competition that celebrates the strength, intelligence, and diversity of Nigerian women.
“Should you wish to participate, all you need to do is respond to this invitation, and we will be delighted to guide you through the next steps.
“We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you continue your journey in pageantry with the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.”
Chidimma was among the 10 women expected to participate in the Miss South Africa grand finale on August 10, 2024, in Pretoria.
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