Meet the first plus-sized Miss Universe Nigeria contestant

When you think about a model or beauty pageant contestant, the image that comes to mind is someone slim and tall.

However, Ufa Dania is challenging these stereotypes by being the first dark-skinned plus-sized woman to contest at the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.

Ufa Dania is a content creator who’s currently representing Kwara State. “Let’s redefine what it means to be a queen," she said in her Miss Universe introduction video.

“The most controversial part about me running the competition is the fact that I may not look like the standard ‘pageant girlie’ but I beg to differ. I cannot be boxed.” She said in a video posted on her Instagram page.

“The trajectory of my life has led me to this very moment. Since I’ve been born, I’ve always been chubby. I came into the world with the fullness of God.

“I was literally bullied all my life from primary one down to JS3 [third year of secondary school]. So imagine back in those days being fat; then you’re now dark. I’m sorry, but your own is finished,” she said.

Although she faced some criticism on social media, Dania has grown thick skin and is confident enough not to allow negative remarks to shake her.

“But I have risen from the ashes like a phoenix. I have suffered from low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and insecurity. But I have learnt from that, and I have grown from that.

“What makes a woman a true queen is not just her looks, but rather the fact that she pays heed to the cries and the needs of the people in her community,” she said.

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She currently stands third in public votes, while Chidimma Adetshina is number one and Edeifo Aikhuele is number two.