Meet the 26-year-old Nigerian representing the country at Miss World 2026 in Vietnam

• Tamunosoye Karibi-George is representing Nigeria at the 73rd Miss World Festival in Vietnam.

• The 26-year-old from Port Harcourt is the founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative supporting children with special needs.

• Before leaving for Vietnam, she said, "Vietnam is calling, and Nigeria is coming," while stressing that her mission is bigger than winning a crown.

• Karibi-George previously won Miss Africa International 2024 and hopes to improve on Nigeria's Top 20 finish at the last Miss World competition.

Tamunosoye Karibi-George, the newly crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026, has arrived in Vietnam, where she is representing Nigeria at the 73rd Miss World Festival alongside contestants from across the world.

The 26-year-old beauty queen, fondly called Soye, won the national title earlier this year after beating 19 other finalists at the grand finale held at the Balmoral Hall of the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos.

Although she represented Bayelsa State during the competition, Karibi-George is originally from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Now, she's hoping to give Nigeria another impressive outing at one of the world's biggest beauty pageants.

But beyond the glamorous outfits, runway walks and dazzling smiles, Soye says her mission goes much deeper.

Before leaving Nigeria for Vietnam, she shared an emotional message with her followers on Facebook.

"With purpose in my heart, I depart Nigeria to represent our great nation at the 73rd Miss World Festival in Vietnam."

She added: "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 ended the post with a line many Nigerians will probably love:

"Vietnam is calling, and Nigeria is coming."

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Karibi-George isn't just another pageant contestant.

She studied Communications at Madonna University, Okija, after attending Obiye High School and Obiye Academy. She is also an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

Away from pageantry, she's passionate about advocacy, especially for children living with special needs.

She founded Beyond Labels, an initiative that promotes inclusion, dignity and equal opportunities for children with disabilities. Through the project, she encourages society to focus on people's abilities rather than their limitations.

That advocacy forms a major part of her Miss World campaign, as the pageant places strong emphasis on contestants using their platforms to create positive social impact through its famous Beauty With a Purpose programme.

This isn't Karibi-George's first time representing Nigeria on the global stage.

In 2024, she won Miss Africa International in Accra, Ghana, a victory that gave her international exposure before eventually clinching the Miss World Nigeria title.

She now succeeds Joy Mojisola Raimi, who represented Nigeria at the 72nd Miss World competition in India.

Raimi finished in the Top 20, making her one of Africa's strongest performers at last year's competition.

With that impressive record, many Nigerians will be hoping Karibi-George can go even further and possibly bring home the famous Blue Crown.

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Unlike many beauty contests that focus mainly on appearance, Miss World judges contestants across several categories, including communication skills, intelligence, confidence, leadership, talent and community service.

Contestants also participate in cultural showcases, charity activities and the Beauty With a Purpose challenge, which recognises humanitarian projects from around the world.

For Karibi-George, the competition is another opportunity to shine a global spotlight on the challenges facing children with special needs while also showcasing Nigerian culture.

As activities continue in Vietnam ahead of the grand finale, Nigerians will be watching closely to see just how far Soye can go.

One thing is certain: whether she returns with the crown or not, she's already using the global stage to tell a bigger story about purpose, inclusion and representing Nigeria with pride.