The Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 pageant faced criticism from South Africans who mocked the event’s presentation and organization.
The backlash comes as pictures and videos of the pageant surfaced online, leading to a wave of disparaging comments.
The Miss Universe Nigeria pageant has been under scrutiny, with some South Africans making unkind remarks about the event.
Critics claimed the pageant looked more like a “memorial service” or a “secondary school pageant” rather than a high-profile competition.
One user even described the decor as “worse than a creche decoration.”
The South African trolls also directed their scorn at Chidimma Adetshina, a Nigerian/South African contestant.
They suggested that Adetshina should have competed in South Africa’s Miss Universe pageant instead. This criticism has sparked a strong reaction among Nigerians.
Several Nigerians have defended the pageant and expressed their frustration with the South African critics.
@trustroy commented, “All this foolishness over photos from a press conference?” while
@lamiphenomenal added, “Our girl just needs to come back home. Really! It’s giving Alzheimer’s, people…pick a lane!” Another user,
@lushfro, said, “My high school auditorium looked better abeg.”
Other Nigerians expressed their displeasure with the South African remarks, with @bigbabyjuls noting, “Them don start again o, if Nigerians come for them they start playing the victim card. I just pity Nigerians investing in their country.
They are obsessed.” Meanwhile, @ada_ohb remarked, “I said the same thing when I saw the decor…We need to do better.”
The reaction to the South African criticism has been mixed, with some Nigerians urging restraint.
@shantee_attah said, “Wetin SA people dey find, them go soon see am,” while @annien_3 suggested, “I feel like at this point we should forget South Africa and not respond to them anymore.”
The controversy also involved Chidimma Adetshina, who had previously withdrawn from the South African Miss Universe competition due to backlash.
Adetshina, a 23-year-old law student born in Soweto to a Nigerian father, faced accusations of identity theft and anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa.
Nigeria’s Miss Universe organizers have since supported Adetshina, with Guy Murray-Bruce, founder of Miss Universe Nigeria, emphasizing, “There is enough racism in the world. We shouldn’t be fighting with one another. I want Africa, the black continent, to be united.”
In response to the ongoing controversy, Adetshina admitted, “It has been very hard,” reflecting the challenges she has faced throughout this tumultuous period.
