As part of the activities taking place before a new Face of Okija is announced, the organisers on the 16th of December unveiled the top 20 contestants of the acclaimed socio-cultural pageant at an event in Lagos. On the 29th of December at Okija town, the Face of Okija pageant winners will be declared King and Queen for the duration of their reign.
This year, the contest was open to graduates from all the towns in Ihiala local government and included a male category to the competition. After hundreds, of applications, a list of 20 finalists was unveiled to the public. The top 20 finalists selected were composed of 10 females and 10 males all Igbo indigenes, graduates of tertiary institutions and below the age of 30.
The finalists are Claire Chinenye Obodozie, Henry Nwadialor, Cynthia Nnowayi, Chukwudi Enukoha, Chinasa Ezeamaka, Chinonso Ahanonu, Chisom Ubachukwu, Honorus Ahanonu, Adaolisa Asomba, Chimezie Madueke, Chiagozie Ngwukaenyi, Nnaemka Agusionu, Onyinyechi Okaforeze, Fredrick Ahize, Ogechi Onuigbo, Emmanuel Ahanonu, Chiamaka Obiakeze, Chika Ogueze, Chidumaga Nsofor & Chisom Okoye
The competition now proceeds to the camp stage where the contestants would be trained in various areas; including Igbo culture, language lessons, business training, charity activities with the Obi Jackson foundation and an official visit to the Royal cabinet of Okija amongst other developmental activities.
At the finale on the 29th of December, the contestants would be expected to tests their skills against each other and prove that they are true representatives of Igbo land and particularly the right ambassadors for Okija.
This year, the King and Queen will be hired by the Obijackson foundation and will earn a fixed salary of 1.4million for one year, an official vehicle for the duration of reign, a scholarship grant of one million naira (N1,000,000) and a chance to impact the lives of the indigenes of Okija, Igboland and Nigeria positively through a mix of social welfare programs that they will be required to champion.
Here’s the full list and brief biographies of the finalists:
Name: Nwadialor Henry
Age: 23 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Polymer & Textile Engineering graduate, Federal University of Technology, Owerri
Name: Chukwudi Enukoha
Age: 25 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Environmental Management graduate from Anambra State University
Name: AHANONU CHINONSO
Age: 24 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Business Administration graduate from Mahatma Ghandi University
Name: AHANONU HONORUS
Age: 22 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Science & Information Technology from Sikkim Munipal University
Name: MADUEKE CHIMEZIE
Age: 28 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Petroleum Engineering graduate from Federal University of Technology, Owerri
Name: AGUSIONU NNAEMEKA
Age: 22 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Industrial Physics (Electronics option, FUTO Owerri)
Name: AHIZE FREDRICK
Age: 24 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: LAW graduate from Nnamdi Azikwe University
Name: AHANONU EMMANUEL
Age: 23 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Economics graduate from Ebonyi State University
Name: CHIKA OGUEZE
Age: 27 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: History & International Studies, University of Calabar
Name: CHISOM OKOYE
Age: 22 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Economics graduate from University of Calabar
Name: CLAIRE CHINEYE OBODOZIE
Age: 21 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Environmental & Resource Management, Presbyterian University College Ghana
Name: NNOWAYI CYNTHIA
Age: 23 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Economics, Nnamdi Azikwe University
Name: CHINASA EZEAMAKA
Age: 23 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Music graduate from Chukwuemaka Odumegbu University, Anambra State
Name: CHISOM UBACHUKWU
Age: 24 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Psychology from Enugu State University of Science and Technology
Name: ASOMBA ADAOLISA
Age: 22 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Pharmaceutical Technology from Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri
Name: CHIAGOZIE NGWUKAEYI
Age: 23 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Agriculture Economics from Micheal Opara University, Abia State
Name: ONYINYECHI OKAFOREZE
Age: 26 years old
Origin: Isseke
Educational Qualification: Information Management Technology, FUTO Owerri
Name: ONUIGBO PRINCESS OGECHI
Age: 21 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Science Laboratory Technology, Abia State Polytechnic
Name: CHIAMAKA OBIAKEZE
Age: 22 years old
Origin: Okija
Educational Qualification: Mass Communication, Madonna University Okija
Name: NSOFOR CHIDUMAGA
Age: 27 years old
Origin: Iheala
Educational Qualification: English & Literary studies, Anambra State University