Iyke Bede
Gamathon, Africa’s flagship convention for games and immersive media, will return to Lagos for its sixth edition, running from September 29 to October 4, 2025. The week-long convention marks the grand finale of a year-long continental tour that touched Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, bringing the event “home” with a focus on video games, extended reality (XR), animation, and other digital creative industries.
Themed ‘Bridge,’ this year’s event builds on the success of the previous edition, which highlighted the resilience and ingenuity of African creators under the theme ‘Thrive.’ Organisers say the new theme reflects their ambition to expand reach, foster deeper collaboration across the continent, and unlock wider opportunities for African talent.
“The regional tours in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa have demonstrated the immense talent and potential across our continent,” said Michael Oscar, Founder of Africacomicade, the convention’s host. “Gamathon Nigeria 2025 represents the culmination of these efforts, creating bridges between regions and sectors while establishing pathways for youth empowerment, investment, job creation, and socio-economic growth.”
The Lagos convention is expected to attract investors, policymakers, industry professionals, students, and enthusiasts who share an interest in shaping Africa’s creative technology ecosystem.
Over the years, Gamathon has become a platform for industry showcases, studio tours, stakeholder engagements, and knowledge sharing—all geared toward building a stronger creative economy.
This year’s edition has backing from the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, as well as development partners and private sector players, including UNDP, Providus Bank, Sanlam Allianz, and MSI.
Programming will feature workshops, masterclasses, and expert panels exploring entrepreneurship, intellectual property, innovation, gamification, spatial computing, and interactive storytelling. Attendees will also benefit from curated networking sessions, investment forums, and a pitch competition with a $2,000 prize pool, powered by Korapay and IndieGamesBusiness.
The creative side of the convention will not be left out. A two-week Pan-African Game Jam will precede the main event, encouraging cross-border collaboration. The Industry Day and Creative Bloc carnival will showcase African-made games, XR projects, animation, and comics, while an online exhibition hosted on the MeetToMatch platform will extend reach globally.
Several high-profile announcements are expected. These include the unveiling of new titles such as ‘Relooted,’ the introduction of emerging studios like Cregon Studios, the official launch of games from the Android Port Challenge backed by Google, and the recognition of winners from the Sanlam Alliance Challenge. Attendees will also see a special showcase of ‘Tossdown,’ a recently published hit, and the debut of the Android Game Development Program, a new initiative offering $30,000 in funding for African developers.
For Oscar, the stakes are high. “The next billion players are coming from the continent,” he said. “It’s crucial to position our youth as creators to ensure a sustainable future for our society and economy.”
With access to exclusive reports, market data, and industry insights, Gamathon 2025 aims not just to celebrate creativity but to strengthen Africa’s role in the global digital economy.
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