TikTok Appoints Nigerian Doctor Wales as Digital Well-being Ambassador for Sub-Saharan Africa

Nigerian health digital content creator Olawale Ogunlana, known as Doctor Wales, has been appointed as one of four TikTok Digital Well-being Ambassadors for Sub-Saharan Africa. The announcement was made during the ongoing Digital Well-being Summit in Johannesburg. Doctor Wales, who began creating content in 2018 and became active on TikTok about four years ago, aims to provide accessible health information to enable better health decisions, especially in regions with low health literacy.

Doctor Wales expressed his gratitude for the ambassadorship, describing it as a humbling moment that validates the impact of his work. He plans to leverage this opportunity to create more inspired content for Nigerians and Africans, and to establish a support system for other creators inspired by his journey. This support system will help other creators use social media to build their communities actively.

Joining Doctor Wales as Digital Well-being Ambassadors are Kenya’s Claire Kinuthia and South African doctors Siya and Sanam Naran. Doctor Siya, who has over 4 million followers on TikTok, started creating content during the pandemic to combat misinformation. He views his appointment as a special moment, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness about mental health challenges. Doctor Siya plans to use this opportunity to train other healthcare creators, NGOs, and health businesses on effective health communication.

The Digital Well-being Summit in Johannesburg aims to address the challenges of overexposure to digital platforms and promote a healthier online environment. The summit, themed “My Kind of TikTok,” features interactive and gamified activities designed to enhance participants’ understanding of digital well-being. The event engages creators, media professionals, and mental health practitioners to foster a more mindful approach to digital content consumption.

This initiative by TikTok underscores the platform's commitment to promoting digital well-being and leveraging the influence of content creators to educate and inspire their audiences. By appointing these ambassadors, TikTok aims to create a positive impact on the health and well-being of its users in Sub-Saharan Africa. The ambassadors will play a crucial role in raising awareness about mental health and providing valuable health information to their followers, contributing to a healthier online community.