The management of Platforms Communications has lauded Prince Adewale Adeyanju-led leadership of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) as well as Mr Liav Zilberman-led management of L.T.T Coastal and Marine Services Ltd for the significant roles they both played in securing a substantive onboard job for the 2021 Winner of Face of Maritime International, Queen Temitope Ibukun Ogunkanmi.
In a press statement issued recently in Lagos, the Managing Director of Platforms Communications who doubles as the Director of FOMI, Mr Sylvanus Obasi commended both MWUN and LTT for being an agent of transformation in the life of the Former FOMI Queen.
According to the frontline maritime journalist, “It’s a season of impactful good news from the Face of Maritime International (FOMI). While we are still sharing and trending the Testimonials from past FOMI queens and contestants whose participation in FOMI pageantry got them attracted to career at sea, another news of another FOMI Queen just filtered in, emphasizing the power of vision, dreams and sheer determination.
“Queen Ibukun Temitope Ogunkanmi, an indigene of Aiyedire LGA in Ogun state, Western Nigeria was the winner of Face of Maritime International FOMI 2021 edition. She was sponsored in FOMI by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and she emerged victorious in a keenly contested Grand Finale which saw the Miss MWUN and Miss CRFFN go head to head on many parameters before the Miss MWUN inched past her closest rival to emerge the winner.
“Prior to contesting in Face of Maritime International, Miss Ibukun knew nothing about maritime. In fact, she was an undergraduate in a tertiary institution, where she was studying Nutrition and Dietetics.
“After participing in FOMI 2021 and passing through our one week Faculty Camping/Training which exposes the contestants to basic maritime knowledge and opportunities, Queen Ibukun picked interest in maritime and with the help of her FOMI sponsors, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, she registered for the mandatory STCW Courses in 2022 and upon completion, got opportunity to do her sea time with L.T.T Coastal and Marine Services Ltd during her NYSC service year in 2023.
“After her sea time with L.T.T, she disembarked, completed her NYSC Service while waiting patiently for a dream job in her new found love and career, maritime sector. Finally, the wait is over as fortunate has smiled at her. News reaching us now confirmed that Queen Ibukun Temitope Ogunkanmi has been offered a substantive job at the most gender-friendly marine company in Nigeria, L.T.T Coastal and Marine Services Ltd as AB (Able Seaman or call it Able Seawoman if you like).
“While Queen Ibukun will still have to pen down her testimonial herself and express gratitude to the right quarters, we the Management of Girls Go-To-Sea Campaign Initiative, organisers of Face Of Maritime International (FOMI) wishes to say a very BIG THANK YOU to the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) ably led by Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju for sponsoring Queen Ibukun’s maritime career dreams to fruition. Indeed, MWUN is a strong promoter and adherent of gender inclusivity agenda of IMO and ITF. Kudos to this current regime. We can only hope that future regimes will sustain the tempo if not surpass it.
“Many thanks also to L.T.T Coastal and Marine Services Ltd, the most gender-friendly, most gender sensitive and most gender-conducive Marine Company in Nigeria, supporting Nigerian Female Cadets and Seafarers maximally. In fact, IMO must hear about your exploits in gender inclusivity in Nigeria.
“At FOMI, we give God the glory for using us to create platforms of success for young Nigerian ladies”, the FOMI Director, posited, ending with the hashtags: #fomi #maritimeisnotonlyformen #beautyforthesea! #brainmeetsbeauty #genderinclusivity #maritime.
