Miss World Nigeria 2026: Murray-Bruce Challenges Critics, Highlights 40 Years of Impact

President of the Silverbird Group and National Director of Miss World Nigeria, Guy Murray-Bruce, has described Miss World Nigeria as an intellectual and transformative platform designed to empower young women for leadership and societal impact, dismissing the long-held misconception that beauty pageants are solely focused on physical appearance.

Murray-Bruce made the remarks during a press conference in Lagos to mark the opening of the Miss World Nigeria 2026 camp, which features 20 contestants representing different states across the country. Speaking under the theme, “Beauty with a Purpose,” he urged critics to judge the platform by the achievements of its beauty queens over the years rather than by negative stereotypes associated with pageantry.

According to him, the Miss World Nigeria pageant is built on the core principle of “Beauty with a Purpose,” a philosophy that encourages contestants to initiate projects and charitable programmes that create positive social impact within their communities.He stated that the organisation has maintained a scandal-free record for four decades and should be recognised for its accomplishments, while encouraging contestants to remain humble and use their influence to uplift others.

Murray-Bruce explained that success at the Miss World competition extends beyond physical beauty, noting that contestants are expected to demonstrate meaningful contributions to society through advocacy and humanitarian initiatives.

Speaking on Nigeria’s chances at the upcoming Miss World competition in Vietnam, Murray-Bruce expressed confidence in the country’s representatives, describing Nigeria as a formidable force in international pageantry.He further noted that beauty pageants can serve as a gateway to life-changing opportunities, exposing contestants to experiences that can shape their careers, broaden their horizons, and position them as influential brand ambassadors.

The pageant director also highlighted Nigeria’s impressive record on the global stage, noting that the country has consistently secured top placements and produced a Miss World winner in Agbani Darego in 2001.Murray-Bruce said: “We have had the pageant for 40 years, scandal-free. Let’s not discuss scandals; let’s focus on successes.

Success is what you think about, not what you do wrong.”Participation in Miss World provides young women with opportunities for personal growth, career advancement, and access to influential networks.

“Referencing the achievements of Bianca Ojukwu, who currently serves as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, he said the platform has produced women who have gone on to attain significant leadership positions in public service and other sectors.

“I challenge the 2026 contestants to utilise the visibility provided by the platform to excel in various professions, including medicine, law, science, journalism, and technology.”You also have to support other people because if you want people to support you, you need to support them. Don’t be selfish. Support other people and keep climbing.”‘Beauty with a Purpose’ significantly means women with advocacy, idea generation, confidence, and good leadership, among other qualities.”

Alaro City, Prostar Sports International, Business News, Ebyss, and other partners who are with us are here to give their very best in supporting every contestant for Miss World Nigeria.”I see Nigeria as very formidable, very strong, and a country to look out for. The girls in Africa, particularly, get intimidated by Nigeria. I look forward to a great show in Vietnam.”Over the years, Nigerian beauty queens have carried out numerous humanitarian projects, including the provision of educational materials to less privileged communities and other charitable interventions aimed at improving lives,” he said.

Also speaking, Mrs. Juliette Hagerman, Producer and Lead Choreographer of Miss World Nigeria, explained the significance of the “Beauty with a Purpose” initiative, stressing that women possess intelligence, vision, and the capacity to compete effectively on the global stage.”Everyone will be going to camp for train and to gain experience, and the winner will be given the crown of courage.

“This platform opens doors for contestants to work with social organisations and boost their global experience,” Juliette said.In her remarks,

Mrs. Oluwaseyi Ashade, Head of Corporate Affairs at alarocity.com, said the partnership with the Silverbird Group is focused on supporting young Nigerian women with vision and ambition while helping them connect with the right audience and opportunities.”Alaro City is here to support young women with greater opportunities and assist them in getting to where they should be in the near future,” Ashade said.