Charles Okpaleke
Charles Okpaleke is a multi-award-winning filmmaker and entrepreneur. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Play Network Africa, a business and lifestyle brand founded in 2008 to cater to its clients’ hospitality and networking needs.
Charles Okpaleke started the brand as a networking lounge for professionals and entrepreneurs in Nigeria alongside co-founders like Elvis Okpaleke, a lawyer and Jeffery, an economist. Today, Play Network Africa has various subsidiaries including Play Network Studios, a multi-award-winning production company and Play Management Africa, a branding, marketing and public relations company with a focus on SME, Personal and Professional Brand Management. The business also has a charitable arm, the Play Network Foundation, which aims to equip and educate young Africans on purpose, entrepreneurship and career-building, regardless of their educational background.
Charles Okpaleke completed a bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a master’s in Health Economics and Health Policy from the University of Birmingham.
Before Play Network Africa, Charles worked as a postgraduate lecturer in the University of Nigeria’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology from 2008 to 2010 and was a Consultant at the United Nations, Energynvest Corporation and Family Healthcare International (FHI) between 2007 and 2008. He worked with FHI on the Global HIV/AIDS Initiative Nigeria (GHAIN) project which partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
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In his filmmaking career, Charles acquired the rights to remake Living In Bondage from Kenneth Nnebue in 2015 and 2018, the film was announced as a sequel to the 1992 classic with the title – Living In Bondage: Breaking Free. The film was released in 2019 and became the 11th highest-grossing film in Nigeria, followed by its availability on the global streaming platform Netflix, in May 2020. Charles also acquired the rights to remake three other Nollywood classics such as Rattle Snake, and Glamour Girls through Play Network Studios.
Charles has received several accolades for his amazing Nollywood titles. Charles’ debut film, Living in Bondage: Breaking Free won seven awards at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards in 2020 Including the Best Movie (West Africa) and Overall Movies Categories.
In line with his commitment to telling the Nigerian stories, Charles is currently developing a storyline based on the events around the 1993 Nigerian Airways.
Learn more about Charles Okpaleke and his works on www.playnetworkafrica.com