By Prosper Mene
Nigeria’s representative at Miss World 2026, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, has advanced to the competition’s Top 40 after being crowned Africa Top Model at the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest XVII.
The 26-year-old was announced as the continental winner on Thursday during the Top Model challenge held in Ho Chi Minh City under the theme “Soul of Heritage.”
Her win automatically qualifies her for the Top 40 quarterfinals, where she will represent Africa. The Miss World Organisation also named winners from the Americas and Caribbean, Europe, and Asia and Oceania — representatives of the Dominican Republic, France, and Vietnam.
The four continental winners will now compete for the overall Top Model title, with the winner earning a direct spot in the Top 20.
According to the organisers, the Top 40 will be made up of 10 contestants from each continent. The remaining quarterfinalists will emerge through other fast-track challenges including Beauty With a Purpose, Head-to-Head, Multimedia, and People’s Choice.
Karibi-George had earlier progressed to the African finals of the Head-to-Head Challenge. She beat contestants from Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Kenya, and South Africa to clinch the Africa Top Model title.
The Port Harcourt-born communications professional was crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026 on June 6 at the Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. She represented Bayelsa State at the national pageant, succeeding Joy Mojisola Raimi who made the Top 20 at the last Miss World edition.
Beyond pageantry, Karibi-George is an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative that promotes inclusion and empowers children with special needs. She was also crowned Miss Africa International 2024 in Accra, Ghana.
With her Top Model victory, Karibi-George has boosted Nigeria’s chances of a strong finish at the 72nd Miss World competition.
