The delegates for the 2025 Miss Universe Nigeria have rounded up their camp activities on Friday, 29, 2025, with an exhibition of traditional attires from the rich Nigerian heritage at the Festival Hotel located at Festac, Lagos.
Meet the 2025 Delegates Through a Cultural Lens
Below is a creative profile—drawing inspiration from the vivid cultural tableau Chidimma presented—imagining how each of the Miss Universe Nigeria 2025 finalists might showcase her identity through traditional attire, language, and heritage:
| State | Traditional Attire & Accessories | Language & Heritage Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Anambra – Basil Onyinyechi | Adorned in a delicate isi agu blouse with regal red coral beads and a ceremonial gele in the signature Anambra style. | Speaks fluent Igbo and celebrates the festival of New Yam with rhythmic ọ́kụkụ́ drumming. |
| Lagos – Bolarinde Damilola | Wears elaborately tied gele, layered iro and buba in Lagos print, accessorised with ponmo-inspired beads and symbols of the Third Mainland Bridge. | Fluent in Yoruba and Lagos Pidgin, advocates for urban youth cultural education. |
| Kano – Mbah Cynthia | Draped in sumptuous atüri/Gandoki-inspired fabric, with fine Hausa embroidery and a graceful zanna cap, symbolizing Northern cohesion. | Speaks Hausa and champions traditional storytelling (ƙissa) and leather craft heritage. |
| Bayelsa – Kurobo Fortune | Wears a raffia-textured wrapper with Ijaw motifs, and a handcrafted crested hairpiece reminiscent of water deities like Oyeyemi. | Speaks Ijaw dialect; promotes river conservation and aquatic folklore. |
| Imo – Chukwukereobi Chinaza | Wears isi-agu fabric integrated with modern cuts, coral bead crown and fan—honoring Eastern royalty and warrior matriarchs. | Fluent Igbo speaker; uplifts oral histories of the Arochukwu shrines and Igbo craftsmanship. |
| Cross River – Myya Jones | Wears a traditional Ata, adorned with brass and shell ornaments symbolic of the Efik’s ancestral ties and riverine artistry. | Speaks Efik; preserves Ekpe masquerade rituals and Calabar canoe-making traditions. |
Chidimma Adetshina — A Trailblazing Example
Outgoing queen Chidimma Adetshina dazzled internationally with her “Njikoka” national costume, a breathtaking homage crafted with over 10,000 coral pearls, cowrie shells, stones, feathers, and raffia.
The headpiece signified ancestral authority, while the rest symbolised unity, wealth, resilience, and Nigeria’s deep cultural roots. She also paid tribute to Lagos with her “Sisi Eko” attire, featuring hand-painted motifs of iconic landmarks such as the Third Mainland Bridge and the National Theatre.
Chidimma’s celebration of her multiple identities—Igbo heritage, Nigerian pride, and South African upbringing—was heartfelt. At her homecoming in Enugu, she shared a personal goal to learn Igbo, saying, “I am Igbo, but I don’t know the language… now I’m actually more in touch with it”. Her Independence Day look, a chic white Yoruba outfit paired with traditional beads and an iru kere, symbolized unity in diversity.
The Miss Universe 2025 event, which is the third edition, will take place at the Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
