Nigeria’s Miss Universe 2026 representative, Dr Danielle Adewusi, has arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to begin preparations for the 75th edition of the international beauty pageant, scheduled for 24 November 2026.
The medical doctor arrived on Monday, 9 November, joining nearly 120 contestants from around the world for the activities leading up to the competition. The programme includes preliminary rounds, national costume presentations and rehearsals ahead of the grand finale.
Adewusi earned the right to represent Nigeria after winning Miss Universe Nigeria 2026 on 27 September at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos. She competed as Miss Lagos State against 19 other contestants before securing the national title.
Her victory also carries a personal connection to the competition’s history. Her mother won the Miss Universe Nigeria title in 1991, making Adewusi’s achievement a second generation of the family to hold the national crown, 35 years after her mother’s win.
Beyond pageantry, Adewusi has an academic and professional background in medicine and psychology. She is an alumnus of King’s College London, where she earned an MBBS degree alongside a first-class honours degree in Psychology.
She also leads Scrub the Stigma, an initiative focused on improving access to healthcare and raising awareness of women’s health issues in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Her work in healthcare forms part of her public profile alongside her involvement in the pageant industry.
Adewusi previously competed at Miss Universe Great Britain in 2023, where she reached the Top 5. She has also undertaken international runway coaching in Thailand, adding to her experience ahead of the global competition.
At 29, she is among the contestants competing under the Miss Universe Organisation’s expanded eligibility rules, which removed the previous maximum age limit for participants. The change has widened the age range of women eligible to compete in the international pageant.
The 75th Miss Universe grand finale is scheduled for Tuesday, 24 November 2026, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan. Adewusi will compete alongside delegates from nearly 120 countries and territories for the international title.
