Face of the World Nigeria Beauty Pageant Honours Okpebholo, Tenebe, Adeniyi, Others
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo; state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emperor Jarrett Tenebe; and Dr. Ifetayo Adeniyi were among prominent personalities honoured at the 20th edition of the Face of the World Nigeria Beauty Pageant, tagged the ‘Akpakomiza Edition’ on Saturday.
The colourful ceremony, organised by the Chairman of Divine Smiles Foundation International, Prince Eric Odigie, featured glamour, cultural displays, entertainment and the recognition of distinguished individuals for their contributions to societal development.
Okpebholo, Tenebe and other award recipients were celebrated for their respective roles in leadership, community development and impactful service, while Adeniyi emerged Best Journalist of the Year 2026 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to journalism and humanitarian advancement.
Adeniyi’s award, which was received on his behalf by Patrick Ochoga, was presented under the ‘Megastar Man of the Decade Award CSR’ category in acknowledgement of his commitment to national development and giving back to society.
In his appreciation, Adeniyi expressed gratitude to the organisers for the recognition, describing the honour as a motivation to deepen his contributions to the journalism profession and humanitarian causes.
Other distinguished awardees included Dr. Paddy Iyamu, Chief Edobor Ozakpolor, Chief Ebipade Karl, Hon. Cyril Oshiomhole, Excalibur Hotel, Mr. Elvis Edoba and Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo.
Speaking during the event, Odigie commended members of his organising team for their dedication and resilience in sustaining the beauty pageant over the years, noting that the platform had continued to provide opportunities for discovering and nurturing talents.
He acknowledged that the journey had been challenging, but said the experiences and disappointments encountered in previous editions had provided valuable lessons for improving the quality and organisation of subsequent events.
“The experiences and disappointments of the past years have taught us valuable lessons, which have helped us shape subsequent editions and make each event better than the previous one,” Odigie said.
The organiser also expressed appreciation to Tenebe for hosting the team in South Africa and facilitating international contacts, which he said had opened new opportunities for the organisation.
Odigie further applauded the contributions of sponsors and partners, including Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments, Modela Couture, Pure Gold Sparkle Cosmetics, Ebenezer Apartment, Andy Modu Global Vision, Megastar Life & Style Magazine and Well Hosa Farm, describing their support as instrumental to the success of the event.
The beauty contest’s major highlight was the crowning of Blessing J. Oaikhena as Face of the World, Osato Omozokpia as Face of Edo, and Ebuba Simon as Face of Tourism.
Other winners were Ebuba Ugonwa, who emerged Most Beautiful Girl in Edo State; Chiwen Anamanya, Miss Amity; and Amenaghawon Idemudia, Miss Hospitality.
The winners were applauded for their beauty, poise, talent and impressive performances throughout the competition.
The 20th edition also featured captivating cultural performances by different ethnic nationalities, musical renditions by contestants and other groups, alongside exciting entertainment that added colour and splendour to the occasion.
