Ado Salisu
Nigeria has recorded a major milestone in the rise of indigenous board games, earning growing recognition across Africa as local creators continue to innovate and expand the continent’s gaming ecosystem.
No fewer than seven Nigerian designers showcased new projects at the 2025 African Board Games Convention (AB Con) held in Abuja.
The 9th edition of AB Con brought together board-game developers, publishers and enthusiasts from across the continent, all eager to test and exchange new ideas shaping Africa’s gaming future.
Founder of AB Con, Kenechukwu Ogbuagu, said the event had grown remarkably since its debut in 2016, rising from just two creators at the first edition to many more this year—an indication of Africa’s increasing innovation and confidence in locally designed games.
Ogbuagu said the convention aims to drive acceptance of African-made games among younger generations, stressing the importance of rewriting the continent’s gaming story beyond popular foreign titles like chess, scrabble and monopoly.
“The convention has grown for nine years, and it shows Africans love games,” he said.
“We are supporting indigenous ideas so African games can take their rightful place.”
Also speaking, Oto-Obong Mendie, Welfare Director of the Chess Players Association of Nigeria, praised organisers and participants for what she described as a groundbreaking event. She highlighted that the chess segment featured both theory and practical gameplay to test players’ full competence.
Mendie explained that combining written tests with board play ensures that participants grow in both knowledge and performance, noting that final rankings were determined through a balance of theory and gameplay.
“This was the first Nigerian tournament blending written tests with board play,” she said, adding that all prizes had been processed and urging unpaid winners to come forward.
“Our goal is to raise thinkers, not just competitors.”
Game designer Victor Dickson, creator of National Nake, said his innovation merges culture, memory and Nigeria’s future. He stressed that solving national challenges requires the wisdom of elders, the creativity of youth and the innocence of the unborn—an approach he believes brings history and vision into gaming and nation-building.
“We blend history and future to inspire national transformation,” he said.
“Change requires wisdom, energy and imagination.”
National Chess Arbiter Goodluck Chukwunyere Ezeocha highlighted the educational benefits of board games, stating that they sharpen critical thinking and help correct poor planning—one of the major contributors to failure in decision-making.
“Board games teach discipline, planning and analysis,” he said.
“They offer positive distraction for the youth.”
Co-creator of Susty Grab Card, Ladipo Oluwaseun, said his game promotes sustainability and covers 13 out of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Playable in three modes, the game teaches climate awareness, cultural identity and responsible living.
“Susty Grab blends culture with sustainability education,” he said.
“We want players to learn climate-smart habits.”
Observers noted that Ogbuagu’s long-term vision has helped position Nigeria as a creative hub for board-game innovation, boosting confidence among young African inventors.
Other publishers present at the convention included Althra Games, ICE Game and Jesus Native Games, while Nigerian titles exhibited at the event included Oya One More, Wan Wan Touch, Owonikoko, Village War, No Gree, Concentration, Gbosi, The Outsider and Ngwa.
This year’s convention was partly crowd-sponsored online, with additional support from Free League, MOB Vanguard, and the Spiel Foundation.