By ZiKa Bobby
For Larry Omodia, the Chief Executive Officer of African Television (AFTV), the broadcast outfit has been established to showcase the beauty and values of the African continent.
“If we don’t begin to sell Africa to the world, nobody will do it for us,” he said at the media unveil of AFTV, which held recently in Lagos.
According to Omodia, Nigerians think that what is out there is better than what is in here. “I speak for Africa, not just Nigeria. AFTV was created for the African mind, so that it does not forget the African values and beauty. Our logo is ‘Beautiful Africa’. I am a salesman for Africa; I sell Africa. I partner with the African Union (AU) and African embassies abroad, to promote what is good about Africa. We are not lazy. At AFTV, our contents are continental.” he stated.
Omodia said further: “On June 1, we would have our Beautiful African Day (BAD) in Belgium, with 10 models, where Miss Beautiful African Queen would emerge including 10 Nigerians who have made their marks in their various fields. It’s going to be a beautiful and wonderful experience.”
However, the television entrepreneur was optimistic that in the next five years, AFTV will be a household name like CNN. “We have developed our Apps called IPTV (Internet Protocol) Box, just like GoTV and StarTimes, where you can watch 14 African TV channels with original African contents. Presently, we have close to 4.2 million viewers in Europe and Africa. We broadcast from The Hague and Belgium. Part of my visit to Nigeria is to talk to StarTimes and DSTv to see if they can help bring our signals into Nigeria. By the grace of God, hopefully this year, you will see AFTV in your living room. If you don’t see all 14 channels, you will at least see one in your home,” he said.