…As MWUN emerges highest record holder in a decade
It was a surprise galore Friday night at the Villa Angelia Event Centre in Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos as Miss MWUN, Esther Uchenna beats every prediction and expectations to emerge the overall winner of the 2025 Face of Maritime International beauty pageant organized by Platforms Communications to mark its 10th year anniversary.
Queen Esther Uchenna beat Miss NAGAFF, Francisca Godfrey and Miss NIWA, Olayinka Akande who emerged first and second runners up respectively to pick the crown.
However, Miss Customs, Chioma Okwumezie won FOMI Miss Intellectual while Miss, NIWA, Olayinka Akande who emerged the 2nd runner up also picked the FOMI Top Model award.
Other award winners are Miss LTT, Precious Ajayi as FOMI Miss Leadership and Miss ANLCA, Precious Obadare as FOMI Most Talented.
With the emergence of Esther Uchenna as winner of the 2025 edition, the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MWUN on whose sponsorship she contested has now emerged the FOMI highest record holder having won the crown in 2019, 2021 and 2025.
Other winners are the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA in 2016, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA in 2017, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS in 2018, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders in 2020, National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA in 2022, and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 2024.
Earlier in his remarks, the founder/CEO, Face of Maritime International, FOMI, Mr. Sylvanus Obasi thanked everyone and every organization who had been part of their success story as an organization saying, “as we celebrate the 10th anniversary, we cannot but mention these organizations and also all others who have also made efforts but were yet to clinch a title.”
“This is an anniversary of appreciation and I will take my time to appreciate every organization seated in this hall. And the reason is simple, when we started this vision in 2016, it was like, what concerns maritime with pageantry. A lot of people could not understand why we are bringing entertainment into a profession such as maritime but as time goes on, when we started our pet project, “The Girl Go To Sea”, it became clear to a lot of individuals that “Oh! This is actually a campaign to draw the attention of young girls into the maritime sector.
“We thank the individuals who we are honouring today, especially our role model ambassador (Barr. Mrs. Jean Chiazor Anishere SAN). I remember in 2016, when we started audition at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, our role model ambassador today would readily give a keynote address to the contestants on introduction to maritime and I could see how she was looking at the young models and the young girls as they were doing their catwalk at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. Thank you so much madam.
“We also appreciate in no small measure, the former DG, NIMASA, who has been a strong pillar of this organization, not only as a member of the Advisory Council, but when there were challenges, he will stand strong behind us. Thank you so much, Barr. Temisan Omatseye. We appreciate you.
“All our Advisory Council members, all our Board of Trustees members, to our guests, to everyone seated here, our story at the Face of Maritime International is simple, it’s a story of vision, creativity, resilience and impact. As we journey in this conversation, more of these things will be explored”, he noted.
Photo 1: HRH Oba Dr. Adelodun Adeniyi Akeem, Traditional Ruler of Ila Orangun, Osun State decorating the models during the finals of FOMI pageant 2025 in Lagos on Friday.
Photo 2: Mr. Sylvanus Obasi, Founder/CEO with the top winners of FOMI 2025 pageant in Lagos on Friday.
Photo 3: Hajia Bola Muse, Chairperson, FOMI 2025 Planning Committee with the newly crowned FOMI Queens during the event in Lagos on Friday.
Photo 4: A cross section of the models during the final stage of the competition in Lagos on Friday.
Photo 5: A cross section of the models in their cultural attires during the final stage of the competition in Lagos on Friday.
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