How Esther Emerge Winner of  FOMI 2025 Contest

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The recently concluded Face of Maritime International (FOMI) contest may have come and gone but statistics and figures from the final score sheet has revealed a detailed breakdown of performances across seven contestants who represented different maritime organizations.

The Contestants’ Final Score Sheet released by the organisers after the Grand Finale highlights the varying strengths and weaknesses of each contestant across five criteria which include: Popularity, Influence, Maritime Knowledge, Personality, and Modeling Skills – all summing up to 1000 points as a total available marks obtainable in the competition.

Leading the pack is Miss Esther Uchenna, who represented the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), and  emerged as the overall winner with a commanding total of 741 points out of a total of 1000 marks.

Her exceptional showing in the Influence category, garnering 200 marks out of available  250 and in Personality category where she scored 163 marks out of 200 placed her far ahead of her peers. She also recorded solid scores in Popularity (145 out of 250) and Maritime Knowledge (116 out of 150), establishing herself as a well-rounded contestant with a balance of intellect, charisma, and influence.

A release made available by the management of FOMI note that the last but not the least is Miss Francisca Godfrey, who represented the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), finished second with 563 points.

Francisca’s strong Influence score of 220 out of 250, the highest in that category,  demonstrated her mobilization power and social reach. She also did very well in Modeling Skills, garnering 124 marks out of 150. However, her modest marks in Maritime Knowledge (71 out of 150) and low marks in Popularity (48 out of 250) may have limited her potential to challenge for the top position.

Following Francisca closely behind with 3 marks less to take the third place is Miss Olayinka Akande, who represented the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and scored 560 points. Olayinka displayed remarkable balance across categories, achieving 140 in Popularity and 127 in Modeling Skills. Her consistency across all parameters made her one of the most stable performers, though a slightly lower Personality score (88) prevented her from moving higher on the table.

The fourth position went to Miss Precious Ajayi, representing L.T.T, who scored 467 points. Her performance showed notable steadiness in Personality (120) and Influence (120). Though her Popularity and Modeling Skills scores were relatively low at 53 and 88 respectively, her Maritime Knowledge score of 86 showed academic effort and subject engagement.

Ranking fifth overall was Miss Chioma Okwumezie, who represented the Nigeria Customs Service, and secured 453 points. Despite a low Popularity score of 5 marks and Influence (40), Chioma demonstrated impressive intellectual strength with a high Maritime Knowledge score of 140, the best in that category. Her Personality score of 156 further reinforced her confidence and eloquence, though weak social mobilization hindered her overall total.

Miss Precious Obadare, representing the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), took the sixth position with 341 points. She performed well in Personality (140) and Modeling Skills (118), but near-zero Popularity (1) and absent Influence marks greatly affected her final score. Her results highlight untapped potential that could shine brighter with stronger public engagement and sponsorship support in subsequent contests.

At the bottom of the ranking is Miss Divine Kingsely, representing Tin Can Island Port Complex (TCIPC), who garnered 242 points. Her average scores in Personality (81) and Modeling Skills (96) reflect modest effort, but the absence of Popularity and Influence marks heavily impacted her standing. Her result underscores the growing importance of public relations and visibility in determining overall performance.

An analysis of the score distribution reveals that Influence and Popularity were the most decisive factors, together accounting for 500 out of the 1000 available marks. Contestants who excelled in these areas, like Esther, Francisca, and Olayinka naturally dominated the leaderboard.

This trend highlights how critical outreach, public engagement, and institutional backing are in modern pageant-style evaluations. The Maritime Knowledge category, worth 150 marks, produced a mix of outcomes, with most contestants scoring above 70. This suggests a satisfactory level of awareness about the maritime sector, which aligns with the core purpose of FOMI: to promote maritime education and advocacy among young women.

Personality scores across board were relatively strong, ranging between 81 and 163, out of 250 available marks. These results reflect the contestants’ poise, confidence, and communication skills, which are essential attributes for brand representation within and beyond the maritime industry.

In Modeling Skills, the scores were fairly balanced, with contestants performing between 88 and 127 marks out of a total available mark of 150.  This consistency shows that most participants had good presentation abilities, body coordination, and fashion sense, which are vital for public-facing maritime ambassadors.

The absence of bonus marks for all contestants indicates that no discretionary points were added, maintaining transparency and ensuring that rankings were determined purely by performance. This further validates the integrity of the scoring process.

From a broader perspective, the FOMI final score sheet underscores a vital lesson for future contestants – that success in the competition requires more than beauty and intellect. It demands a strong mix of influence, personality, and audience connection.

Candidates who fail to mobilize supporters or engage the public effectively risk losing critical points even if they excel in technical or personality areas.

In conclusion, the Face of Maritime International 2025 contest not only celebrated beauty and confidence but also reaffirmed the growing recognition of maritime awareness among Nigerian youths.

With Esther Uchenna setting a new benchmark in multi-dimensional excellence, the competition once again lived up to its reputation as the foremost platform spotlighting intelligent confident, and industry-conscious young women in the maritime sector.