Beyond the crown: Meet Nigeria’s Miss World 2026 representative, Tamunosoye Karibi-George

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By Enitan Abdultawab

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Twenty-six-year-old Tamunosoye Karibi-George is representing Nigeria at the ongoing 73rd Miss World Festival in Vietnam after emerging as Miss World Nigeria 2026.

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Recall that Vanguard News reported that the Port Harcourt-born beauty queen defeated 19 other finalists to win the national crown at the Balmoral Hall of the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos. Although a native of Rivers State, Karibi-George represented Bayelsa State during the competition.

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Now in Vietnam, she has joined contestants from around the world for a series of activities and challenges leading to the grand finale of the Miss World pageant.

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Beyond pageantry, Karibi-George is a trained communications professional with interests in advocacy, public engagement and social development. She studied at Madonna University, Okija, following her secondary education at Obiye High School and Obiye Academy.

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She is also an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

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One of the major causes she champions is the inclusion and empowerment of children with special needs. Through her initiative, Beyond Labels, Karibi-George advocates for a society where children are not defined by their disabilities or circumstances but are given opportunities to develop their abilities and pursue their aspirations.

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Her advocacy has become an important part of her pageant journey, giving her a platform to draw greater attention to the experiences of children with special needs.

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Karibi-George is also an experienced pageant contestant. Before winning the Miss World Nigeria title, she was crowned Miss Africa International 2024 in Accra, Ghana, an experience that exposed her to international pageantry.

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She succeeds Joy Mojisola Raimi, who represented Nigeria at the 72nd Miss World competition in India and finished among the Top 20 contestants.

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Ahead of her departure for Vietnam, Karibi-George said her participation was about more than competing for a crown.

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“With purpose in my heart, I depart Nigeria to represent our great nation at the 73rd Miss World Festival in Vietnam,” she wrote in a Facebook post on August 7.

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“This journey is about more than competing for the Blue Crown. It is about representing the strength, culture, tenacity, and compassion of our nation, while continuing to champion the Beyond Labels Initiative and the belief that every individual deserves to be seen for their potential,” she added.

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She concluded, “Vietnam is calling, and Nigeria is coming.”

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As the competition progresses, Karibi-George will participate in activities designed to test contestants’ communication skills, confidence, intelligence, purpose and commitment to social causes.

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For the Nigerian representative, the Miss World stage offers an opportunity not only to compete for the crown but also to promote her advocacy, showcase Nigerian culture and amplify the message of inclusion for children with special needs.

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