On December 11, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria, something historic happened: African gaming took center stage.
Developers, founders, global studios, investors, educators, and community builders came together for MaliyoCON25, Africa’s premier mobile games conference, to explore how the continent’s games are being built today and what the future holds.
Across packed sessions, candid conversations, and surprise reveals, one truth stood out: African games are not just emerging; they are ready to compete globally.
Global Lessons, Local Impact
The day kicked off with a message from Christophe Pecot, Cultural Attaché at the French Embassy in Nigeria. His remarks emphasized the importance of cultural collaboration and set the tone for a day balancing global insight with local relevance.
Mathias Nøvig of SYBO, the studio behind Subway Surfers, delivered the keynote, revealing the process, discipline, and patience behind maintaining a global hit. In the fireside chat moderated by Oluseye Soyode-Johnson, Mathias expanded on sustainability, team building, and studio growth — a clear message that African studios must be built for the long game.
Next, Elina Ollila and Bola Akinrolabu of Arizona State University led the session “Building the Next Billion Dollar Game”, offering insights into funding, scaling, and long-term viability. Her talk reinforced a key point: building games that endure in African markets requires strategy, patience, and persistence.
Safari City: “Anything Is Possible”
The Safari City Team of Maliyo Games, took the stage to showcase their Africa-inspired city builder. From narrative and character design to art, engineering, and mechanics, the session was a window into creating a game that is culturally authentic and globally relevant.
The core message was clear: “Anything is Possible.” To top it off, the team unveiled a playful surprise, a Maliyo Games office recreated in the Safari City style, signaling the next phase of the game and proving that creativity truly has no limits.
Community: The Engine of Growth
Community was highlighted as essential infrastructure. Dorothy Orina, Program Manager at GameUp Africa, reflected on how mentorship, peer learning, and structured programs have trained thousands of developers across the continent, with many attendees themselves alumni of the program.
Following that, Heather Drolet and Stephen Reid of Threadbare led a session on Game-Based Learning, demonstrating how games can extend beyond entertainment to teach, develop skills, and drive social impact. Together, these sessions emphasized that talent grows best in spaces that nurture, challenge, and connect.
Founders, Funding, and Real Talk
The founder-to-founder conversation between Hugo Obi (Maliyo Games) and Bukola Akingbade (Kucheza Games) offered candid insights into running a game studio in Africa. They shared lessons on shipping consistently, choosing collaborators wisely, embracing failure, and staying visible — a real, unvarnished look at what it means to lead in this ecosystem.
Global commitment was evident too. Deborah Mensah-Bonsu of Supercell highlighted long-term engagement in Africa, including a grant program launching in 2026 to support studios across the continent.
Looking Forward
The day concluded with A’isha Umar Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer at MTN Nigeria, framing African gaming as entering a new phase: one defined by clarity, ownership, and collaboration.
MaliyoCON25 didn’t answer every question, but it did something more important: it asked the right ones, sparked conversation, and reminded everyone in the room that the future of African gaming isn’t distant, it’s already being built.
See MaliyoCON25 in Action
If you want to relive some of the best moments from the day, check out our recap video on Instagram Reels: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSSR52OD4ee/?igsh=MWY1MXRwZG9kdjlmZQ==. From keynote highlights to live testimonials, it’s all there in motion!
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