By: Odeh Favour Adiya
The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to massively support Miss World Nigeria 2026, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, popularly known as Soye, as voting reaches its crucial final hours at the ongoing 73rd Miss World Festival in Vietnam.
Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, made the appeal in a statement posted on her X account, praising the 26-year-old beauty queen for her outstanding performance and advocacy on the global stage.
Musawa highlighted Karibi-George’s emergence as Africa’s Top Model and her qualification for the Top 40 as a landmark achievement that has brought pride to the nation.
“Dear Soye, seeing you carry Nigeria’s name with such grace, confidence and purpose on the Miss World stage has made us incredibly proud,” Musawa stated.
“Emerging as Africa’s Top Model and securing your place in the Top 40 is a remarkable achievement. But beyond the competition, you have used this platform to showcase Nigeria to the world, speak about issues that truly matter, and inspire so many young people,” she added.
Emphasizing the urgency of the moment, the Minister urged citizens at home and in the diaspora to cast their votes before the voting window closes.
“Nigerians continue to stand with you. There are just 9 hours left to vote, and the window is closing fast. Soye needs every vote and every point matters for the stages ahead,” Musawa noted.
“Please, let’s come together, vote, share and encourage others to do the same. Queen Tamunosoye Karibi George, Nigeria is behind you,” she wrote.
Before setting out for the global stage, Karibi-George had expressed her determination to use the pageant as a platform for advocacy and national representation.
“With purpose in my heart, I depart Nigeria to represent our great nation at the 73rd Miss World Festival in Vietnam,” she wrote in an earlier post.
“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.
A native of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Karibi-George represented Bayelsa State at the national level, where she emerged victorious from a field of 20 finalists at the Balmoral Hall of the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos.
Prior to winning the Miss World Nigeria title, she was crowned Miss Africa International 2024 in Accra, Ghana.
Beyond pageantry, Karibi-George is a communications professional, an associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, and the founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative dedicated to the empowerment and inclusion of children with special needs.
She will now hope to advance further in the global contest and surpass the Top 20 finish recorded by Joy Mojisola Raimi in the previous edition.
