A former Miss South Africa contestant hounded over a nationality row was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria on Saturday, capping a difficult few weeks for the beauty queen.

Born to a Nigerian father in South Africa, 23-year-old Chidimma Adetshina withdrew from the country’s competition “for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I” after a backlash that exposed anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa.

“This journey has been a tough journey for me and I am so proud of myself and I’m really grateful for the love and the support,” Adetshina told AFP minutes after being crowned in Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos.

“This is something that I’ve always wanted, and I’m really glad that I have a second shot as well at achieving it,” Adetshina said.

Her Nigerian heritage attracted vicious xenophobic attacks and sparked controversy when she was announced as a Miss South Africa finalist in July, while the government said it was investigating a claim that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.

Despite not being in the country in 20 years, organisers of the Nigerian contest invited her to join their final, saying it was a chance for her to “represent your father’s native land on an international stage”.

“We all need to stop with the xenophobia… with the tribalism,” first runner-up Paula Ezendu told AFP.

“We’re all one family. We’re all human beings,” she added.

The nationality controversy notwithstanding, Adetshina insisted she loved South Arica and was grateful for the support from the country.

She will represent Nigeria at the international Miss Universe competition in November.

“I know we are going to win,” she told reporters.