Nigeria’s representative at the 2026 Miss World competition, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, has won the Africa Top Model title, earning an automatic place in the competition’s Top 40 quarterfinals.
Karibi-George secured the continental title on Thursday during the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest XVII, where contestants competed in the Top Model challenge themed, “Soul of Heritage.”
She emerged ahead of representatives from Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa.
The Miss World Organisation announced the achievement in a post on Instagram, congratulating the four continental winners who secured automatic qualification for the Top 40.
It said, “Americas & Caribbean: Dominican Republic; Africa: Nigeria; Europe: France; Asia & Oceania: Vietnam.”
The organisation added that the four winners would compete for the overall Top Model title, with the eventual winner earning a direct ticket to the Top 20.
The Top 40 will feature 10 contestants from each of the four continental groups, while the remaining positions will be decided through other challenge categories, including People’s Choice, Beauty With a Purpose, Head-to-Head and Multimedia.
Karibi-George had earlier reached the African finals of the Head-to-Head Challenge, although South Africa’s Romanda Hombir eventually won that round and secured an automatic place in the Top 40.
The 26-year-old, who hails from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026 on June 6 after emerging victorious from 20 finalists at the Balmoral Hall of the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos.
She represented Bayelsa State during the national pageant and succeeded Joy Mojisola Raimi, Nigeria’s representative at the previous Miss World competition, who finished among the Top 20.
Karibi-George, a trained communications professional and associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, is also the founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative promoting inclusion, dignity and empowerment for children with special needs.
She previously won the Miss Africa International title in 2024 in Accra, Ghana.
Her latest achievement places her among the leading contestants competing for the 2026 Miss World crown.
