Diaspora Star | Joel and Jeffrey Ezugwu : Creating Zugu TV to Bring Nigerian Content to U.S. Screens

Twin brothers Joel and Jeffrey Ezugwu are transforming homesickness into opportunity. After moving from Nigeria to Los Angeles at age 14, the brothers longed for the familiar shows and cultural content they grew up with. Now 30, they have launched Zugu TV, a streaming platform tailored to Nigerians and Africans in the U.S. who crave an authentic connection to home.

Unveiled earlier this year, Zugu TV currently streams Nigerian programming, including live sporting events. The brothers plan to expand their catalogue to include Nollywood movies, Big Brother Naija, African music videos, documentaries, and original productions such as Nigeria Today a show envisioned to spotlight everyday life in underserved communities back home.

“Telemundo has it for Latinos, BET has it for Black Americans, but there’s nothing for Africans,” Jeff told Forbes, explaining their mission to fill a gap in the media market. Joel adds, “There are a lot of people like us,” referring to Africans abroad who miss unfiltered access to their culture.

Working with operations manager Wisdom Mugudu, the founders are building awareness among Nigerian communities in the U.S. “They may be far away from home, but many of them really wish to get this local content, raw and original,” Mugudu said.

To raise Zugu TV’s profile, the Ezugwu brothers sponsored the 2025 Umu Igbo Unite Convention in Dallas, Texas, a major gathering of Igbo professionals and diaspora networks. Their move highlights not just a business strategy, but a broader cultural mission: to make African stories, music, and entertainment as accessible to the diaspora as any mainstream network in America.

With early subscribers already on board and fundraising underway, Joel and Jeffrey are proving that cultural pride and entrepreneurial drive can build a bridge between two continents one stream at a time.