Celebrating the best of Nigerian Gaming at the 2023 Games Industry Africa Awards

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The 2023 Games Industry Africa Awards (GIAA) was a celebration of African talent featuring 12 categories that showcased the achievements of the African games industry. Among the winners were several remarkable individuals and organizations recognised from Nigeria, revealing the country’s growing influence in the gaming industry.
  • Hugo Obi, the founder and CEO of Maliyo Games, received the Person(s) of the year award for his contributions to the industry. The award is presented to an individual who oversees game releases, mentors others, and serves as a visual representation of the diverse strengths of the continent. Hugo had previously won the same award in 2021 for outstanding work growing future talent.
  • Maliyo Games received the Industry Initiative of the Year award for not only laying the groundwork into illuminating the true size and scope of the African games industry, but also kickstarted a movement that went beyond the local landscape via the Africa Games Industry Report. Maliyo Games is one of the first game studios in Nigeria, and has produced over 40 games that reflect the culture and values of Africa.
  • Africa Comicade, a community platform fostering African creativity and innovation within the realms of games, digital art and extended reality won the Community of the Year award. Africa Comicade continued to take significant strides in providing budding talents with the skills needed to survive in the harsh glare of an evolving games industry through mentorship programs, collaboration and innovation.
  • Dooshima Anger, a solo game designer, developer and women in games advocate from Nigeria, was awarded the Rising Star(s) award. She was recently selected to be part of the 2023 Epic Games Women Creator's Program.  
  • Inuv8 Studios, a game development studio based in Lagos, Nigeria, led by Daniel Shotan also took home the Rising Star(s) award along with Dooshima for demonstrating not only a strong desire to create but also a flair for innovation, risk-taking, and iteration. Inuv8 Studios are currently porting their unreleased debut titled game Midnight Dreams from 2D to 3D using the Unreal Engine.
The GIAA is an annual event instrumental in recognising talent and promoting the diverse portfolio of video games from Africa. It highlights the diversity, creativity and potential of the African games industry. Last year Legends of Orisha: Blood and Water, a narrative-driven action RPG set in a fantasy world inspired by Yourba mythology was voted by the public as the GIAA One(s) to Watch winner. The GIAA was launched in 2021 by Games Industry Africa, a media platform that provides news, views and resources for the African makers and shakers of video games.

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