Lagos representative Danielle Adewusi emerged winner of Miss Universe Nigeria 2026 after competing against 19 contestants at the grand finale held in Lagos. Anita Osikhena of Edo and Myya Jones of Cross River emerged first and second runners-up respectively. Adewusi will represent Nigeria at the 75th Miss Universe Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Grand Finale Details
The event took place on Sunday at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. It saw 20 contestants battle for the coveted title after weeks of activities including camp challenges, advocacy presentations, talent displays and runway performances. At the end of the night, Adewusi came out on top, leaving other contestants behind to become Nigeria's representative at the upcoming Miss Universe competition.
Why Adewusi Won
According to Silverbird, the organisation behind the pageant, Adewusi stood out because of her “confidence, intelligence, elegance and commitment to social impact” before eventually winning the judges over during the final question-and-answer session. The newly crowned queen will now fly Nigeria's flag at the 75th Miss Universe Festival scheduled to hold on November 24 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She will also showcase her advocacy initiative, “Scrub the Stigma,” a project focused on creating awareness around women's health issues.
Full Results and Runners-Up
After a competitive finale, the final placements were announced as: Winner: Danielle Adewusi — Lagos; 1st Runner-Up: Anita Osikhena — Edo; 2nd Runner-Up: Myya Jones — Cross River; 3rd Runner-Up: Oluwafunmibi Ajaja — Ekiti; 4th Runner-Up: Melissa Toghanro — Delta. The Top 10 finalists also included Benedicta Iferike from Abuja, Chidinma Oluku from Abia, Precious Chinah from Rivers, Eno Idungafa from Akwa Ibom and Edidiong Udoidua from Ebonyi.
Cross River representative Myya Jones secured her place among the Top Five after receiving the highest number of votes in the fast-track voting category. Meanwhile, Delta's Melissa Toghanro earned another major recognition as she was selected to represent Nigeria at Miss Supranational.
Edo Contestant Shines with Multiple Awards
Although Anita Osikhena did not take home the main crown, the Edo representative had a memorable night after winning some of the biggest awards at the event. She emerged winner of the Pitch Your Dream Competition, receiving ₦1 million from Yolo Island alongside a two-night all-expenses-paid stay at Yolo Island Beach Resort. Osikhena also won the Best Advocacy Project award, where she received ₦500,000 and a one-year supply of Golden Penny products.
Other special award winners from the competition included: Most Photogenic: Miss Akwa Ibom; Miss Amity: Miss Ekiti; Best Evening Dress: Miss Edo; Top Model: Miss Oyo; Best National Costume: Miss Osun; Best Talent: Miss Ogun.
President of Silverbird Group and National Director of Miss Universe Nigeria, Guy Murray-Bruce, crowned Danielle Adewusi at the end of the ceremony. With the crown now secured, all eyes will be on Adewusi as she prepares to represent Nigeria on the international Miss Universe stage later this year.
