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The Federal Government on Thursday officially presented Miss Nigeria 2026, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, as the country’s representative to the 75th Miss World Pageant with a call on Nigerians to rally behind the country’s quest for global glory, declaring confidence that she has what it takes to make the country proud on the global stage.

At a colorful national send-off ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, said the beauty queen was more than a pageant contestant, adding that she represented the resilience, intelligence, cultural richness and leadership potential of Nigerian women.

Karibi-George will represent Nigeria at the Miss World competition scheduled to hold in Vietnam from 9 August to 5 September where contestants from about 130 countries and territories will compete.

The minister said Nigeria’s participation in the global pageant presents an opportunity to showcase the country’s rich cultural heritage, creativity and youthful talent while strengthening its international image.

She said the Miss World platform has transformed from being a physical beauty pageant to a global movement that highlights humanitarian service, leadership, advocacy and social impact through its world-famous “Beauty With a Purpose” initiative.

“As our queen heads out to represent Nigeria, we do so with confidence. 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 charged Nigerians, regardless of political, ethnic or religious affiliations, to throw their weight behind the country’s representative, insisting that representing Nigeria on the world stage was already a laudable feat deserving of national support.

The minister also carried goodwill messages from President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, assuring the beauty queen of the Federal Government’s support during the entire competition.

She linked Nigeria’s participation in the pageant to the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly 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 charged her to remain focused in her projection of the country’s values with dignity and excellence throughout the competition.

The Miss World Nigeria National Director and President of the Silverbird Group, Guy Morris-Bruce, presented the queen to the Federal Government and described the Miss World competition as a platform that rewards intelligence, compassion, leadership and purposeful service, and not beauty alone.

He said the organisation was still committed to providing opportunities for Nigerian women to excel at the international level while encouraging the citizens to give the country’s representative their full support.

Also speaking, the President and Founder of God’s Citizens Worldwide, Wisdom Okoye, commended the minister for her personal commitment to ensuring the success of the national send-off.

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He said her hands-on role in the organization of the event was a testament to her passion for empowering young Nigerian women and projecting a positive image of the country.

I was especially impressed by the commitment and dedication of the Honourable Minister. She personally made sure everything was well-organized and all invited guests were well taken care of,” he said.

Okoye, who expressed optimism about Nigeria’s chances, added: “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 pledged to fly the nation’s flag with pride and represent Nigeria with dignity, humility and excellence while presenting the country’s diverse cultural heritage to the global audience.

She said, “I promise to represent Nigeria with dignity, with grace, with excellence and with purpose.

Senior 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.

Guests were entertained by the National Youth Service Corps Cultural Troupe with their vibrant cultural performances, a colorful display of Nigeria’s rich ethnic diversity and artistic heritage.

Goodwill messages were also received at the event from the Niger Delta Development Commission, Akwa Ibom State Government and other partners, all pledging support for Nigeria’s representative.

One of the high points of the event was the presentation of a special appreciation gift to the minister by the Miss World Nigeria Organisation as a recognition of the ministry’s commitment to the empowerment of women and support for Nigeria’s participation in international platforms.

The Team Lead of the event, Iwefa Aganaba thanked government officials, sponsors, development partners, members of the diplomatic community and the media for their contribution to the successful send-off.