Onyinyechi Basil from Anambra State is set to stand for Nigeria at the seventy-fourth Miss Universe pageant.
The event will take place on 21 November at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, just outside Bangkok, where 120 contestants will gather from every region of the world.
Africa will field a strong line-up, with entrants from Nigeria, Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
This year’s winner will receive the crown from Victoria Kjær Theilving of Denmark, who holds the current title.
Basil, aged twenty-five, earned a degree in biochemistry and was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria 2025.
Her drive to improve maternal health came after the death of her brother, leading her to form Nwanyi Bu Ife, a group focused on widening access to care for expectant mothers.
Basil later set up the Reach Moms Initiative, which supports women in rural communities with hospital assistance, childbirth guidance and basic supplies.
Nigeria enjoyed a strong outing last year when Chidimma Adetshina, a South African-born Nigerian model, finished as first runner-up. Her result marked the country’s highest position in the history of the competition.
