‘Ogelle will bridge creative industry divide between Africans in Africa and in diaspora’

High Commissioner of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Wendell Vincent Carlton De Landro, on Thursday commended the founders of Ogelle, Africa’s first user generated content platform with 100 percent focus on African content, saying the platform will bridge the creative industry divide between Africans in Africa and those in diaspora.

He gave this commendation when the Ogelle team, led by its founder, Osita Oparaugo, paid him a visit at the High Commission of the Trinidad & Tobago in Abuja.

“As the High Commissioner and on behalf of the good people of Trinidad & Tobago, I want to thank you for finding time to come for this wonderful meeting that will open massive doors for the creative industry in Trinidad & Tobago and by extension the entire Carribean countries. I invite you as a company to take part in the next carnival in Trinidad & Tobago,” De Landro said.

“From the day we spoke on the phone and what I gathered before now and your formal introduction of Ogelle today, I have no doubt that finally, a platform that will bridge the creative industry divide between Africans in Africa and those of us (diaspora) on the other side is birthed. We are the same people,” he said.

He described the creative industry as a powerful sector, adding that an indigenous user generated video content distribution platform like Ogelle is what Africans, no matter their geographical location, need today.

The High Commissioner said he had met with Aliko Dangote, president, Dangote Group, a leader in industrialisation and Africa’s richest man, and had told him to come to Trinidad & Tobago and use the country as a hub for the region.

“Same message I shared with the owner of Air Peace to commence a direct flight from Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago, and the same message I give you today,” the High Commissioner said.

“My supervising minister, my Prime Minister and President will be happy to see a production and distribution of entertainment content cooperation between your platform and indeed African creatives and those of them in my country and region,” he said.

In his response, Osita Oparaugo, CEO, Reddot Television Network and founder of Ogelle, thanked the High Commissioner for receiving him and his team and expressed willingness to partner with the government of Trinidad & Tobago in fostering a vibrant entertainment industry between Africa and the entire Carribean countries.

He said the time to unite Africa, promote and preserve the cultural heritage and value is now and that the platform to do that is Ogelle.

He said Africans in Africa mostly and those in the diaspora must embrace the creative industry to change the negative narrative about Africa.

“In 13 months of operation and with over 13,000 videos and 32,000 registered content creators, over 50,000 app downloads and a database of 10.6m across Africa and counting, we have no doubt that Africa’s time has come,” Oparaugo said.

“Our message is simple and it’s consistent. Africa is culture. Ogelle is African, by Africans, and for Africans in Africa and in the diaspora. Let us build our community now,” he said.

Designed to promote and facilitate the development of African creative industry, Ogelle integrates User Generated Content (UGC) and exclusive original production subscription video on demand (SVOD) delivered as a free and subscription-based service.

Just in March, Ogelle received commendation from Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who expressed joy to see that a platform has been created for African content only.

“What you have created is huge, focus is right and there’s content all over Africa, just the medium for promotion and distribution is what our youths need to excel. I thank you for creating this and coming to present it to me,” Obasanjo said.