Three Nigerian contestants are currently competing alongside 48 representatives from 16 other countries at the ongoing BRICS 2026 International Beauty Contest at the Kazan Expo Exhibition Centre in Russia.
Commenced on 1 March and concluding on 8 March, BRICS 2026 marks the first-ever international beauty contest uniting BRICS nations through cultural, humanitarian, and social dialogue.
The pageant, which selects three women from each BRICS country to vie for the titles of Miss BRICS, Mrs BRICS, and Little Miss BRICS, is designed as a next-generation event.
The pageant goes beyond mere aesthetics, reflecting a woman’s identity, values, intellect, and inner strength. It creates a platform where personal stories, worldviews, respect for national traditions, and the readiness to represent culture on the global stage take centre stage.
The contest celebrates the unity of modernity and heritage, embraces cultural diversity, and promotes shared humanitarian values across the BRICS nations.
Nigeria contestants
Representing Nigeria are Blessing Ihuaenyi, Miss BRICS, Gladys Ade-Zaky, Mrs BRICS, and Isabel Dike, Little Miss BRICS.
Ade-Zaky is an artist who expresses femininity and individuality through her paintings. She embodies the modern Nigerian woman, blending creativity, confidence, and cultural depth.
Ihuaenyi is a basketball player and model who exemplifies charisma, confidence, and a vibrant sense of self.
Dike is a young model, ballerina, and actress who demonstrates kindness, leadership, and mindfulness through art and movement.
The trio will showcase not only beauty but also poise, intelligence, and cultural awareness as they compete against participants from South Africa, Uganda, China, India, Brazil, and other member nations.
Competitions will span several categories, including country presentations, national representations, creative and intellectual segments, and participants’ personal stories.
Other participating countries include Russia, the UAE, Indonesia, Cuba, Bolivia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Categories
Miss BRICS is open to women aged 18–25 who embody youth, potential, ambition, and future opportunities. This category celebrates vision, energy, intelligence, self-expression, and the ability to represent their country’s culture with pride.
Mrs BRICS is designed for married women over 30, symbolising maturity, resilience, and life experience. The focus lies on inner strength, personal fulfilment, core values, social influence, and the power to inspire others.
Little Miss BRICS is for children under 13, emphasising the nurturing of talents, cultural development, and mindful self-expression.
Crowns
Each crown comes with a product passport and certificate of authenticity. They serve as ceremonial symbols of the competition, passed from one winner to the next to signify respect, continuity, and international friendship.
The Mrs BRICS Crown, crafted by the CHAMOVSKIKH Jewellery House, depicts the goddess of beauty, Augusta. It embodies the pinnacle of aesthetic harmony, mature, unifying, and creative. Augusta Magna represents beauty as a responsible force, one that can connect cultures and nurture spiritual unity.
The crown’s design features gemstones of varying sizes and cuts, including morganites, pink tourmalines, sapphires, and diamonds, symbolising diversity and balance. White and pink pearls highlight harmony and mutual understanding among the participating countries, while a deep red rubellite atop the crown accentuates its grandeur.
The Miss BRICS Crown, also created by the CHAMOVSKIKH Jewellery House, presents Augusta as a symbol of awakening and conscious self-discovery. Augusta Aurora embodies beauty as an inner light, independent, enduring, and inspiring.
Sky-blue aquamarines convey clarity of vision and purity of intention, while white pearls signify harmony and understanding among the nations. The crown celebrates the moment of rising, marking the stage where personal strength begins to take shape and direction.
The Little Miss BRICS Crown, likewise crafted by the CHAMOVSKIKH Jewellery House, portrays Augusta as a symbol of blossoming and the start of a journey. Augusta Florens represents beauty in its purest form, a state of growth, openness, and latent potential.
An exquisite arrangement of tourmalines, rubellites, and pink sapphires evokes the universal symbolism of blooming. White pearls emphasise harmony and mutual respect. This crown honours a new generation of beauty, carrying the promise of future greatness.
BRICS
BRICS is a growing intergovernmental organisation of major emerging economies, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, with the aim of promoting economic cooperation and challenging Western-dominated global governance.
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Since its establishment in 2006, the bloc has welcomed additional members, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia, reflecting a significant move towards a multipolar world.
This newspaper reported that Nigeria accepted an invitation in January 2025 to join the bloc as a partner country.
The country was admitted as a BRICS partner during a summit in Russia in 2024, joining 12 other nations in a partnership designed to strengthen ties with the emerging economic bloc.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this acceptance underscores Nigeria’s commitment to fostering international collaboration and capitalising on economic opportunities.
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