Kia Kirwan to represent Antigua and Barbuda at Miss Afrikana International 2027

Antigua and Barbuda: Kia Kirwan will be representing Antigua and Barbuda for the first time at the Miss Afrikana International Pageant, which is slated for November 11, 2027. This will allow her to take her regional pageant experience to the international stage.

The Miss Afrikana International organization introduced Kirwan as its Antigua and Barbuda representative on social media. They said that she will carry the country’s flag with cultural pride, creativity, and a commitment to community.

Kirwan, crowned as the Queen of Carnival of Antigua and Barbuda in 2025, has already represented the nation in four regional pageants. She reached the final three during her reign.

Her most recent achievement came at the 2026 Miss OECS pageant held in Dominica, where she finished as the first runner-up and also won two segment awards.

The Antigua and Barbuda representative also placed first runner-up at the 2025 Miss Essence and Mind International pageant. It featured contestants from Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, and St Maarten.

Miss Afrikana International is a new global pageant that focuses on African-American women. According to the organization, their platform aims to celebrate beauty, culture, intelligence, leadership, and community impact across Africa and the wider African diaspora.

The pageant was founded by Abena Akuaba Appiah from Ghana, who is a beauty queen, entrepreneur, and activist, and the winner of Miss Grand International in 2020.

Eligibility for participation in the organization is determined by African women, Afro-Caribbean women, Afro-Latinas, Afro-Asians, North Africans, and women of mixed descent who have some ancestry from Africa.

Antigua and Barbuda is specifically included among the Afro-Caribbean countries eligible to participate.

As per the set rules of the competition, participants will participate in the opening presentation, swimsuit and evening gown events before the top 10 contestants are selected. The top 5 contestants will then take part in a question and answer event before the first winner is crowned.