Photo Credit: Onyinyechi Basil/Instagram
The Miss Universe 2025 competition is set to take place in Thailand, bringing the pageant to Bangkok for its seventy-fourth edition. A total of 120 contestants from around the world will take part in the event, which will be held on 21 November 2025 at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi.
Nigeria will be represented by Onyinyechi Basil. She is 25 and studied biochemistry. Her interest in maternal healthcare began after the loss of her brother, which led her to form Nwanyi Bu Ife, a group that works to make maternal care more accessible in different parts of Nigeria. She later started the Reach Moms Initiative, which supports women in rural communities with hospital access, childbirth education, and essential supplies.
Onyinyechi grew up with her father in a small apartment, and she often refers to this period as an example of how ambition can grow from limited circumstances. Her Miss Universe biography also highlights this part of her background and the message she wants to present on the international stage.
This year’s pageant will see Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark hand over the crown to her successor. As Nigeria’s contestant, Onyinyechi brings global attention to the work she does in women’s health and to the issues faced by many expectant mothers in underserved communities.
Nigeria follows her progress as she prepares to step onto the Miss Universe stage in Thailand.
