Danielle Adewusi has been crowned Miss Universe Nigeria 2026 after emerging as the winner of the national pageant at a grand finale held in Lagos on Sunday.
Representing Lagos State, Adewusi defeated 19 other contestants at the event held at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
She will now represent Nigeria at the 75th Miss Universe Festival scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November.
Adewusi’s emergence comes after years of building a profile that combines medicine, women’s health advocacy, music, public speaking and pageantry.
The new beauty queen is a medical doctor with a particular interest in women’s health and an ambition to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology.
She studied at King’s College London, where she earned an MBBS degree alongside a first-class BSc (Hons) in Psychology. Her official biography also states that she has published research in international scientific journals.
Beyond medicine, Adewusi founded Scrub The Stigma in 2023, an organisation focused on addressing stigma surrounding women’s health and providing women with information and resources to advocate for their healthcare needs.
Her advocacy also includes efforts to address financial barriers to healthcare. Through Scrub The Stigma, she established a women’s health funding initiative aimed at supporting patients with medical bills at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State.
Adewusi also has a background in music. She is a classically trained pianist and cellist and studied at the Guildhall School of Music. Her official biography lists a DipABRSM qualification in piano.
Her latest pageant victory is not her first experience in international beauty competitions. Before competing in Nigeria, Adewusi participated in Miss Universe Great Britain, where she placed among the top five contestants.
She has also been involved in international women’s advocacy, with her profile identifying her as a speaker and former UN Women UK delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women.
Her interests also extend to entrepreneurship, public speaking and the arts, giving her a public profile that goes beyond medicine and pageantry.
With her Miss Universe Nigeria victory, Adewusi is expected to use the platform to further promote causes linked to her women’s health advocacy while preparing to represent Nigeria on the international stage.
Her participation in the 75th Miss Universe Festival in Puerto Rico will mark the next phase of a career that has brought together medicine, academic research, advocacy, creativity and pageantry.
