The Federal Government on Thursday officially unveiled Miss Nigeria 2026, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, as the country’s representative to the 75th Miss World Pageant, with a call for Nigerians to unite behind the country’s quest for global glory, expressing confidence that she has what it takes to make the country proud on the global stage.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, described the beauty queen as more than a pageant contestant, saying she embodies the resilience, intelligence, cultural richness and leadership potential of Nigerian women at a colourful national send-off ceremony in Abuja.
Karibi-George will represent Nigeria at the Miss World competition, which will be held in Vietnam from 9 August to 5 September, when contestants from some 130 countries and territories will be competing.
The minister said Nigeria’s participation in the global pageant provides an opportunity to showcase the country’s rich cultural heritage, creativity and youthful talent while strengthening its international image.
The Miss World platform has evolved from a physical beauty pageant to a worldwide movement promoting humanitarian service, leadership, advocacy and social impact through its world-renowned “Beauty With a Purpose” initiative, she said.
“We go out with confidence, as our queen goes out to represent Nigeria. “We have faith in her abilities, we have faith in her preparation and we know she will be an excellent ambassador for our country,” Suleiman-Ibrahim said.
She urged Nigerians, regardless of political, ethnic or religious affiliations, to rally behind the country’s representative, insisting that it was already a commendable feat for Nigeria to be represented on the world stage and deserved national support.
The minister also expressed the goodwill of President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, assuring the beauty queen of the Federal Government’s support throughout the competition.
She linked Nigeria’s participation in the pageant to the Renewed Hope Agenda, especially its focus on youth development, women’s empowerment, inclusion and national development.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Esuabana Asanye, congratulated Karibi-George on her emergence as Miss Nigeria 2026, and urged her to remain focused in her projection of the country’s values with dignity and excellence throughout the competition.
Miss World Nigeria National Director and President of the Silverbird Group, Guy Morris-Bruce, who presented the queen to the Federal Government, said the Miss World competition is a platform that rewards intelligence, compassion, leadership and purposeful service, and not beauty alone.
The organisation still believes in giving Nigerian women opportunities to excel internationally, while appealing to the citizens to give the country’s representative their maximum support,” he said.
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Also speaking, President and Founder of God’s Citizens Worldwide, Wisdom Okoye, commended the minister for what he described as her personal commitment to ensuring the success of the national send-off.
Her hands-on role in the organization of the event, he said, was a testament to her passion for empowering young Nigerian women and projecting a positive image of the country.
I was very impressed with the Honourable Minister’s commitment and dedication. “She saw to it that everything was in order and that all invited guests were well taken care of personally,” he said.
Okoye, who was optimistic about Nigeria’s chances, said: “I believe, by the grace of God, our representative will return victorious and we shall gather again to celebrate her success and our great nation.
A tearful Karibi-George thanked God, her family, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the Miss World Nigeria Organisation and Nigerians for believing in her dream.
She vowed to fly the nation’s flag with pride and represent Nigeria with dignity, humility and excellence while presenting the country’s diverse cultural heritage before a global audience.
“I promise to represent Nigeria with dignity, with grace, with excellence and with purpose,” she said.
Top government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional rulers, development partners, captains of industry, cultural organisations and other stakeholders who expressed optimism about Nigeria’s chances at the international pageant, attended the ceremony.
The National Youth Service Corps Cultural Troupe entertained guests with vibrant cultural performances, a colourful display of Nigeria’s rich ethnic diversity and artistic heritage.
The event equally received goodwill messages from the Niger Delta Development Commission, Akwa Ibom State Government and other partners, all pledging support for Nigeria’s representative.
A special appreciation gift was presented to the minister by the Miss World Nigeria Organisation, one of the high points of the event to acknowledge the ministry’s commitment to the empowerment of women and support for Nigeria’s participation in international platforms.
Iwefa Aganaba, the Team Lead of the event, thanked government officials, sponsors, development partners, members of the diplomatic community and the media for their contribution to the successful send-off.
