Twenty-six-year-old Tamunosoye Karibi-George is carrying Nigeria’s flag at the ongoing 73rd Miss World Festival in Vietnam after emerging as Miss World Nigeria 2026. The Port Harcourt-born beauty queen earned the national title after defeating 19 other finalists at the Balmoral Hall of the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos.
Although she hails from Rivers State, Karibi-George represented Bayelsa State during the national competition. Now in Vietnam, Tamunosoye Karibi-George has joined contestants from different countries for a series of activities and challenges ahead of the grand finale. But her journey extends beyond beauty contests and the pursuit of a crown.
Karibi-George is a trained communications professional with interests spanning advocacy, public engagement and social development. She studied at Madonna University, Okija, after completing her secondary education at Obiye High School and Obiye Academy.
She is also an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. One of the causes closest to her is the inclusion and empowerment of children with special needs. Through her Beyond Labels initiative, the beauty queen advocates for a society where children are not defined by disabilities or difficult circumstances.
Instead, she promotes an environment where children with special needs can develop their abilities, pursue their ambitions and be recognised for their potential. Her advocacy has become an important part of her pageant journey, providing her with a larger platform to highlight the experiences and challenges faced by children with special needs.
Karibi-George is no stranger to international pageantry. Before winning the Miss World Nigeria crown, she emerged as Miss Africa International 2024 in Accra, Ghana.
That experience gave her exposure to international pageantry and helped prepare her for the global Miss World stage. She succeeds Joy Mojisola Raimi, Nigeria’s representative at the 72nd Miss World competition in India, where Raimi finished among the Top 20 contestants.
Ahead of her departure for Vietnam, Tamunosoye Karibi-George made it clear that her participation would extend beyond competing for the coveted Blue Crown. In a Facebook post on August 7, she described the journey as an opportunity to represent Nigeria while advancing the cause she has championed through Beyond Labels.
“With purpose in my heart, I depart Nigeria to represent our great nation at the 73rd Miss World Festival in Vietnam,” she wrote.
She added that the journey was about representing Nigeria’s strength, culture, tenacity and compassion while continuing to promote inclusion.
“This journey is about more than competing for the Blue Crown,” she said.
Karibi-George further reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that people are recognised for their potential rather than being defined by their circumstances.
“Vietnam is calling, and Nigeria is coming,” she concluded.
As the Miss World Festival progresses, contestants will participate in activities designed to assess communication, confidence, intelligence, purpose and commitment to social causes. For Nigeria’s representative, the competition provides more than an opportunity to pursue an international crown.
It gives Karibi-George a global platform to showcase Nigerian culture while drawing attention to her advocacy for children with special needs. Her journey in Vietnam therefore represents a combination of pageantry, national representation and social advocacy—bringing the Beyond Labels message to an international audience.
