Young and In Charge: Brenda Chidinma Ogbukaa

The young people, it has been said, are the future of any nation, and so they have very important roles to play in the nation today to ensure that the future comes and that, that future is better than the present. With the advent of the internet and the social media, it has become easier for the voices of the younger generation of Nigerians to be heard. Meet our young person of the week, Brenda Chidinma Ogbukaa, a young script writer and actress, who is contributing her own quota to make sure Nigeria has a bright future.

Tell us a little about yourself?
My name Brenda Chidinma Ogbukaa. I’m a script writer and an actress for now.

What was growing up like?
Growing up for me was challenging, interesting and fun. I have two brothers, and having two brothers is horrible. Just kidding its fun, I have two young men to watch my back. My mum is the disciplinarian, and my dad is the one we run to. He makes you feel better, and then makes you do what’s right. My parents are my best friends.

Tell us a little about your educational background?
I had my nursery and primary education at Rahma Nursery and Primary school Suleja in Niger state, and then I had my secondary education at School for the Gifted Gwagwalada Abuja. I studied educational psychology at the University of Abuja.

So what is Dizzle Notes all about? What does it mean and how did the name come about?
DIZZLE’S NOTES is a screen/script writing company, we also write articles, poems and short stories. We do short films that are child friendly, morally sound and have positive effect on the society. My friends call me BRENDIZZLE, that’s how DIZZLE came about.

How did you go from reading Educational Psychology to Script Writing?
Well I met with veteran actor Zack Amata, he discovered I had a gift in telling stories and creating ideas for film. So he became my teacher and taught me how to put my ideas and stories into movie scripts.

Do you see yourself mixing the both of them?
Like they say no knowledge is wasted. Educational psychology has helped me gain knowledge that I feel I can transfer to other people via stories and movies. There are certain things we do or certain ways we relate with each other that if we knew better we would change. So what I learnt has made great impact on the kind of stories I tell.

What is your typical day like?
When I’m not on set, I go to the library to write. I go out every day because I learn and get inspiration from outside my house. I could be inspired by a bus conductor, or the woman who insist on paying less because of her circumstance, or the man who sells gala on the street to take care of his home, or the female child hawking banana on the street so she can go to school. I’m sometimes inspired by even plants. My typical day is a learning process.

What do you love most about you what you do?
What I love most about my job is the fact that a get to turn a little idea into a big project. And that I can entertain people. For some I give them hope, others I just make them happy. Trust me a job that puts a smile on someone’s face is worth doing.

What has been your best work ever?
My best work so far is a story titled ‘AT ALL COST’ it’s a working title, it might change. I wrote it for Dr. Ben Williams CEO of Lenstrokes Production. It has not been shot yet, but it’s the best work I have ever done.

What are the difficulties involved?
There are a lot of challenges. You might have a writer’s block, and it will take some time to get back to the place you were, getting sponsors for your story, and people taking credit for your work. Those are the biggest challenges.

If you weren't doing this, what would you have been doing?
Writing is my life. Telling stories, making people happy, giving them hope is all I can do. Maybe I’ll be a motivational speaker or a journalist if I wasn’t writing.

Have you ever felt like giving up on writing scripts?
I've never felt like giving up writing, and I pray I’ll never be in such a situation.

Who or what inspires you?
My parents inspire me. I remember telling my dad once about starting up a business because I felt writing wasn’t paying me well. My dad called me and said “Never give up your dream because it is not putting enough money in your pocket yet, develop your writing skills, be the best at what you do and you will go places”. It was a bit hard convincing my mum that this is what I want to do, but when she got the picture she said “The gift of a man makes way for him. I’ll always be here for you” the knowledge that they both have my back is my driving force. I just have a wonderful family who are always there for me; their faith in me inspires me.

Considering the level of success you have attained, youths out there would be itching to know how old you are.
Level of success… hmm, well I’m still growing, but I’m glad that God has brought me this far. I’m twenty three years old.

 Asides work, what do you do for fun?
I watch movies, read books and hang out with my friends for fun.

How do you intend to make a difference with what you do?
What DIZZLE’S NOTES does is to bring young talented writers together. I intend to produce more child friendly films. It’s not just about entertainment, but infotainment and edutainment. And in my own little way bring about peace and preach togetherness.

Advice to youths that wish to follow in your footsteps.
My advice to youths who plan to follow this path is. Stay focused; keep an open mind, first love the job and every other thing will follow. If you do not love what you do you can’t make your audience love it. Thus once nobody learns from your job you have failed. Feedback is the breakfast for champions.

Where do you see yourself and Dizzle's Notes five years from now?
Five years from now I intend to go beyond the shores of Nigeria with my work, do a lot of award winning films, and also have a strong working team. I would love to walk on the streets and hear someone say “I love your work, it changed my life” that’s all that matters to me. 

Its a mixture of pictures and short videos for today, hope you enjoy them.

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