Africacomicade and the GIZ Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) Nigeria programme have partnered to expand training, business and international market opportunities for Nigerian game developers and emerging studio founders.
The partnership, being implemented under the ICT Skills for Youth initiative of DTC Nigeria, includes a specialised game development bootcamp and international industry exposure for young Nigerian developers.
The collaboration follows the participation of a delegation of Nigerian games industry stakeholders at Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, in August.
The programme is expected to culminate in a showcase at Gamathon 2026 in Lagos from October 28 to 31, where participants will present their work and engage with other players in the African games industry.
DTC Nigeria is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
At Gamescom, Nigerian game developers, studio founders and other industry stakeholders engaged with international publishers, investors, technology platforms and developers.
Edu Shola, founder of Deluxe Studios, one of the Nigerian studios supported to attend the event, said the international exposure provided opportunities for Nigerian studios to establish relationships beyond the local market.
He said, ‘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.’
The bootcamp will combine technical game development training with business strategy, with participants expected to learn how to develop commercially viable games and build sustainable creative businesses.
The programme will also expose participants to areas including game development workflows, entrepreneurship and opportunities within the wider digital economy.
Michael Oscar Esio, founder of Africacomicade and technical partner for the programme, said the collaboration would help address some of the challenges facing Nigeria’s games industry.
‘For many years, the growth of Nigeria’s games sector has been constrained by limited resources, access to opportunities and institutional support,’ he said.
‘Through this training venture with the GIZ Nigeria team, we can begin to build stronger foundations and partnerships that can propel the sector forward.’
Africacomicade operates across the video games, animation, comics, extended reality and interactive media sectors, providing training, industry events, fellowships, research and other support for digital creators and studios.
The partnership comes amid growing global interest in the games and interactive media industry, which spans software development, publishing, technology, esports, animation, music, marketing and other creative services.
The organisers said the programme was designed to help Nigerian developers gain technical and business skills while improving their access to international markets and industry networks.
The Gamathon 2026 showcase in Lagos will provide an additional platform for participating developers and other Nigerian creators to display their projects and connect with stakeholders in the games ecosystem.