Miss Winnie Ogunsakin emerged the 2022 Winner of the Maiden Nigerian Maritime Ambassador Reality TV Show. In this exclusive interview with Platforms Reporters, she shares her experiences and challenges during the contest and revealed what stood her out amongst other contestants.
It is an interesting media chat with the Ondo state born Reality TV Winner who’s fast becoming a super star as the pioneer Nigerian Maritime Ambassador. Enjoy the excerpts:
Platform Reporters: Congratulations on winning Nigerian Maritime Ambassador Reality TV Show, how does that make you feel?
Winnie: I feel excited and overwhelmed. I don’t think words can do justice to express exactly how I feel.
Platform Reporters: What was the first thought that came to your mind when you were announced winner?
Winnie: Oh wow, wait did he mention Winnie? Oh My God, I won! The thought was absolutely hilarious.
Platform Reporters: How did your friends and family members react to your victory?
Winnie: My parents were at the Grand Finale to witness it. My true friends were very happy for me and my families gave thanks to God because it was really a tough competition.
Platform Reporters: What would you say stood you out from other contestants?
Winnie: Two things: Preparedness & Game plan.
Platform Reporters: What do you mean by game plan and preparedness?
Winnie: Yes, I found out about this show almost practically the same way others did, that is through someone and he said “you have the physique and intellect to go for this since you are a Linguist and an athlete“. Of course I was scared at first. The word “Marine” had me thinking. Will I cope? Can I meet up? What if there are mariners that are vast, can I compete with them?
It wasn’t an easy decision to make because I am not a maritime student, neither do I have a maritime background. I said no, I can’t go for this, but obviously I did and it turned out to be a show for anyone. In summary, my dad who happened to be my campaign manager and someone who is a marine expert called me and said if you are ready for this, you have to work twice as hard, you have to come out of your comfort zone.
To myself I thought “why is he making it sound scary“ I had no idea what he was implying. We started the pre qualification process, I opened a group added my friends and families made some of them admin so they could keep adding the ones I couldn’t reach and people started voting.
After the first week which I emerged No 1, it started getting more real and no jokes, people were spending to help me, I said to myself “can I do this?” I got scared again, I met my manager and told him to help me tell them to reduce the vote because we don’t want to exhaust all we have in the first week. He laughed and said “ you are just scared and you know what, you need to get strong and confident, you can’t go into that house with this mindset if you want to win“.
Thereafter, he took me for a basic mandatory course in marine. Oh you think it was basic (hehehe) trust me, there is nothing basic about it. In preparation for this competition, I enrolled for a week theoretical and a week practical course in marine. I don’t think I need to spell out the practical aspect at Sea School in Snake Island, Apapa but hearts rang in my ears, tears spilled, nose ran, Sea School is no playing ground. It wasn’t child’s play.
I returned home, had only two days to myself to prepare and boom the day came upon me like a thief. No time to rest, but I was chasing something, I couldn’t complain. I was prepared.
Just so you know, three weeks into the competition, everyday was lecture for me, a marine expert who happened to be my dad took his time to lecture me anywhere the spirit leads. We might be in traffic and boom lecture. I had to be with a pen and a notepad everywhere I was going with him. He drilled me like
“O girl if you meet any challenge, you should be able to tackle it yourself and provide a solution” I was groomed to be a man in that NIMA House thank God for feminine features (hahaha).
Getting into the house the real thing began, because some are already seeing me as a threat right from the Pre-qualification voting stage, I got nominated every week by fellow housemates for possible eviction till the very final week, so I had to keep voting to remain in the House till the finals.
Winnie Profile picture during the Show
Now on GAME PLAN: Reality TV show is an eviction show like ‘The Voice’ would always say. So before entering the House, I made a video on my campaign group explaining how it might turn out to be for the next one month. I said and I quote “We might not be allowed our phones I might not be able to communicate but my manager will be available to answer any question and clarify any confusion please I need your support and votes for the next one month May God bless you all. Am signing out“, then I dropped my phone.
But fortunately, our phones were handed over to us anytime voting commenced. Now, I could care less if we weren’t handed our phones why because I made necessary preparations for both options of with or without my phones. Giving me my phone now became an added advantage and thankfully every week I scaled through evictions with whatever we could pull.
As for the winning week, we had our phones more often than the former weeks.The campaign for my voting increased as we started using every group we had on our phones. We encouraged people to keep voting, my manager advised that votes be sent as money directly to his account to avoid some votes not being casted as a result of network. So while some were voting online, some voted offline themselves, majority transferred the money to my manager and his assistant directly.
Winnie’s Voting Graphic
Now on the road to final process, the debate came that should all the money gathered be used at once or be split. suggestions flew around of course they say two heads are better than one and then a decision was made. I could remember I contributed by saying “we should have a smoking gun, a slam dunk that hopefully can push us to the top at the final minute” that is if we were not leading.
I was really scared I didn’t know where my vote had gotten me. if I didn’t win I couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened to me, what if this doesn’t still work? But in a game like this you don’t show your last card when the game is still hot but when all hope is lost. I had a last card but I had no idea my team had their smoking gun.
Some minutes to the end of the ‘vote to win process’, they collectively as a team made a slam dunk and my heart sank (I thought to myself what if it wasn’t enough, will all these money just go) but I was hopeful and then the voting time closed. I prayed so it would work and yes at Grand Finale, I was announced winner of the pioneer Nigerian Maritime Ambassador Reality TV Show. Not only did our plan work, GOD DID it !!!!!!
God did his thing. Of course I wouldn’t say I was the hardest worker for the title, But He had his way of guiding me through the part I chose to walk.
Amb Winnie Ogunsakin, Pioneer Winner, NIMA Reality TV Show, Season 1
Truth be told. Others might have had the maritime school experiences before the show but I had the best lectures and also the best lecturer to get me on my feet. So I’ll say we all are even.
For a game that I spent and sacrificed so much for, I will say I can stand on any mountain and shout Thank you Father, your daughter got what she deserved.
Platform Reporters: How was your experience during Nigerian Maritime Ambassador Reality TV Show?
Winnie: It was new, challenging, exciting, and yes I learnt a lot.
Platform Reporters: How long have you been into modeling?
Winnie: Actually, I’m not a model. I’m just an ordinary girl who saw the advert for the NIMA Reality TV Show. I picked interest, registered for it, passed the audition requirements; participated in the contest, and fortunately, I emerged the winner.
NOTE: Look out for Part 2 of the interview where she talked about her pet project.
this year 2023 reality show, Embajuesoul will win due to her grassroots mobilization done and we her supporters still doing more for the dreams of her winning comes to reality