Stakeholders in Africa’s gaming and eSports industry have called for increased investment, specialised training, stronger intellectual property protection and supportive policies.
They made the call during a panel session at the second day of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND2026 in Lagos on Friday.
One of the panelists, Toluwalakin Olowofoyekun, Co-founder of Kigali, described video gaming as an entertainment business with significant similarities to conventional sports, explaining that its revenue streams extend beyond professional players and tournament winnings.
He cited globally recognised characters such as Superman and Spider-Man to illustrate how original creative properties could remain commercially valuable across generations.
He also identified advertising, sponsorships, brand partnerships, content creation and streaming as some of the commercial opportunities available within the ecosystem.
He explained that eSports offered diverse career opportunities, including professional gaming, coaching, content creation, game development and other supporting services, urging stakeholders to recognise the industry as a viable economic sector rather than merely recreational activity.
Another speaker, Kunmi Adenipebi, Founder/CEO, GameEvo technologies, spoke on career opportunities in eSports. He noted that the ecosystem was expanding, creating opportunities for young people to pursue different professional pathways beyond becoming competitive players.
Speaking on the policy dimension, Emily Nburu-Ndoria, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Director, Trade in Services, Investment, IPR and Digital Trade Secretariat, said the continent needed harmonised regulations and stronger intellectual property protection to support the development and cross-border trading of gaming and eSports products.
She explained that eSports could benefit from existing AfCFTA frameworks covering recreational, cultural and sporting activities, as well as the protocol on digital trade.
According to her, appropriate governance structures and harmonised regulations would help create a more predictable business environment, encourage private-sector participation and attract investors.
She also stressed the importance of protecting African creators from losing the economic value of their intellectual property to foreign markets, noting that the continent must move beyond consuming foreign-owned creative content to developing and commercialising its own.
She further called for greater integration of African languages, traditions and cultural narratives into locally developed games, while urging industry practitioners to engage policymakers in identifying the regulatory support needed to grow the sector.
On international competitiveness, the panelists argued that African developers should focus on creating games rooted in the continent’s cultural experiences rather than simply reproducing foreign concepts.
They referenced international gaming productions that had incorporated African mythology and cultural elements, arguing that the growing interest in African stories presented an opportunity for local studios to develop original intellectual properties and reach international audiences.
However, the panelists identified inadequate investment and limited access to specialised training as two major obstacles confronting the industry.
They explained that developing commercially competitive games could take between two and four years, making it difficult for independent developers to sustain production without adequate funding.
They warned that the absence of investment capital could force developers to concentrate on commercially predictable projects at the expense of creative experimentation and original storytelling.
They also identified gaps in formal gaming education, noting that only a few Nigerian universities currently offered opportunities for students to acquire relevant skills in game development and related disciplines.
Oowofoyekun further observed that local investors often lacked sufficient understanding of the gaming business model, making them reluctant to invest until foreign investors had demonstrated confidence in the sector.
He called for increased industry visibility, investment-focused events and the publication of industry reports highlighting successful Nigerian gaming projects, revenue opportunities and the market’s potential.
Collectively, the speakers urged parents to reconsider perceptions that gaming was merely a distraction from education, stressing that young people could build sustainable careers in the industry if given appropriate guidance and opportunities.
They also acknowledged the need to address online safety, ethical concerns and responsible gaming, particularly where children interacted with other players on digital platforms.
On the role of intellectual property (IP), the panelists urged African game developers to prioritise ownership of their original characters, stories and creative concepts from the beginning of their projects.
They explained that a successful intellectual property could generate revenue across multiple entertainment platforms, including video games, animation, comic books, films and merchandise.
The speakers stressed that although Africa had abundant creative talent and culturally rich stories that could compete internationally, inadequate funding, limited technical training and poor understanding of the industry among local investors continued to constrain its growth.
The discussion ended with calls for stronger collaboration among African developers, investors, policymakers and industry associations to establish a sustainable gaming ecosystem capable of creating jobs, generating revenue and exporting African creative content.
The event had industry practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders examine opportunities, challenges and emerging career paths in the continent’s gaming and eSports ecosystem. (NAN)
