Pan-African launchpad for the video games and immersive and interactive media industry, Africacomicade, has partnered with the GIZ Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) Nigeria programme to expand pathways for young Nigerian game developers and emerging studio founders through a specialised game development bootcamp and international industry exposure.

The collaboration builds on DTC Nigeria’s support for a delegation of Nigerian games industry stakeholders to attend Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, in August 2026. It will culminate in a showcase at Gamathon 2026 in Lagos from 28 to 31 October, connecting participants with the wider African games ecosystem.
The partnership is being implemented through the ICT Skills for Youth initiative of DTC Nigeria. The DTC Nigeria programme is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union (EU) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

At Gamescom 2026, Nigerian game developers, studio founders and ecosystem stakeholders engaged with international publishers, investors, platforms, developers and other industry leaders. The exposure offered first-hand insight into one of the world’s most developed games markets and created opportunities for relationships beyond the local market.
Founder of Deluxe Studios, Edu Shola, one of the Nigerian studios supported to attend Gamescom, described the value of the initiative:

“As a Nigerian studio, Deluxe Studios is already making games that can compete globally. What we’ve lacked is a presence in the spaces where business opportunities and relationships are fostered. That’s exactly what GIZ Nigeria’s support has given us.”
Alongside international exposure, Africacomicade and GIZ Nigeria are delivering a specialised game development bootcamp for young talent and emerging game businesses. The bootcamp combines game development workflows with business strategy, helping participants develop commercially viable games, build more sustainable creative enterprises and create new employment opportunities.

Africacomicade brings sector expertise and networks spanning games, animation, comics, extended reality and interactive media. The programme will also culminate in a showcase at Gamathon 2026, taking place from October 28-31, 2026, in Lagos, where participants and other Nigerian creators will have an opportunity to showcase their work and connect with the wider games ecosystem.
Founder of Africacomicade, Michael Oscar Esio, which is also the technical partner for the programme, said, “It’s great to have a leading organisation like GIZ supporting the games industry in the manner they have chosen.

“For many years, the growth of Nigeria’s games sector has been constrained by limited resources, access to opportunities and institutional support. Through this training venture with the GIZ Nigeria team, we can begin to build stronger foundations and partnerships that can propel the sector forward. GIZ’s presence in the sector significantly increases our chances of building a stronger and more globally competitive Nigerian games industry.”
The global games industry has evolved into one of the world’s largest entertainment and interactive media sectors, generating significant economic value across software development, publishing, technology, esports, animation, music, marketing and creative services.
For Nigeria, the opportunity extends beyond creating games for local audiences. With a young population, a growing technology ecosystem and a deep pool of creative talent and cultural stories, Nigeria has the potential to develop globally competitive game studios and intellectual property while creating new pathways into the digital economy.