WikiPortraits volunteer spotlight: Justice Okai-Allotey
"I got started in photography in 2015 when I was part of an apprentice program in Accra."
Justice Okai-Allotey is a freelance digital marketer and visual storyteller, and is also well-known as User:Owula kpakpo across the Wikimedia platform. He is currently the Board Chair of the Wikimedia Ghana User Group and also a working group member of Let’s Connect, which helps Wikimedians to share knowledge, connect, and develop skills.
How did you become involved with Wikipedia?
I was born and raised in the city of Accra, Ghana, where I currently live and work. I became a Wikipedia volunteer on February 20, 2016, almost exactly ten years ago, when I was invited to attend a Wikipedia workshop at the Impact Hub Accra in Ghana.
At the time I joined, I was also a budding photographer, so I combined both editing the English Wikipedia and contributing to Wikimedia Commons. The reason I continue to volunteer and contribute my time to Wikipedia is because of the “danger of a single story”, a Ted Talk by Chimamanda Adichie, who shared about the dangers of a single story using the African context, and it's stuck with me forever.
This made me more intentional about contributing Ghanaian content to Wikipedia.
I got started in photography in 2015 when I was part of an apprentice program in Accra. One of the modules in the program was photography and storytelling. We at the time visited the Team 1000 Words Studios who ran us through a crash course in photography and then I started learning the others from watching YouTube videos, shooting and assisting experienced photographers.
What are some WikiPortraits highlights?
I joined WikiPortraits as a photographer in August 2025 during Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi. My most recent assignment was in December when I covered a concert by Ghanaian musician Black Sherif.
A WikiPortraits highlight so far has been receiving a camera last December, a Sony A7iii, for the Ghanaian community to use in covering events in Ghana. This is going to go a long way to help local Wikimedians document notable Ghanaians and across the sub-region.
Justice uploads to Wikimedia Commons as User:Owula kpakpo.
