Hugo Obi
Founder, Maliyo Games
Hugo is a visionary and trailblazer in the world of African gaming. He is the founder of Maliyo Games, a Lagos-based mobile games studio that specializes in crafting African-inspired games for mobile devices. His work stands as a testament to his commitment to showcasing the rich culture, stories, and talent that Africa has to offer.
Hugo leads a remarkable team of designers, developers, artists, and programmers, all working tirelessly to create immersive games with original narratives, character design, and sounds rooted in the heart of the African continent. Their dedication to excellence has earned Maliyo Games a well-deserved place at the forefront of the gaming industry.
But Hugo’s contributions go beyond game development. He has a profound passion for nurturing talent and fostering a vibrant gaming community in Africa. This led him to establish the GameUp Africa bootcamp, a comprehensive 5-month training program designed to empower beginner game developers across the continent. Hugo’s commitment to education and empowerment is making a significant impact on the future of African gaming.
We’re exctied to have Hugo Obi as our MC, guiding us through the Make Games Africa Vertical at Africa Games Week 2023!

Gabriel Atsu Sikanku
Co-Founder & International Relations Manager, Esports Africa Tournament & Esports Africa News
As the Co-Founder & International Relations Manager of Esports Africa News as well as Esports Africa Tournament, Gabriel is a true titan in the realm of competitive gaming. In addition to these roles he is also partnered in many esports organisations and clubs across Africa including: Tema Esports Club, Falcon, EDS Esports as well as serving as the Director of Strategic Partnership in Esports Association.
Gabriel has experience in developing teams from the ground up and leading media organisations dedicated to Esports, Game Dev and Animation in Africa. We look forward to hearing him share his knowledge on promoting online engagement and growing esports across the continent.
We’re looking forward to hearing Gabriel speak on our panel: The Future of African Gaming and Esports: Opportunities, Threats and Solutions?

Ben Myres
CEO & Creative Director, Nyamakop
Ben Myres is the CEO and Creative Director of Johannesburg-based games studio, Nyamakop. In 2018 they released Semblance, which became the first African developed game to ever release on a Nintendo console. Nyamakop’s currently unannounced project features one of the largest teams ever assembled to work on a single video game made in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Ben previously was the Program Manager for A MAZE Johannesburg and lectured game design at Wits University. He has been included on Mail and Guardian’s ‘Top 200 Young South Africans’, Design Indaba’s ‘Emerging Creatives’, and Forbes Africa’s ’30 under 30′ lists for his work.
Ben will be joining us to speak on the panel: Funding Opportunities for African Game Developers.

Nicole Biondi
Head of Marketing & Communications, Innovation Edge
Nicole is joining AGW23 as the MC for the G4C Africa Festival!
Nicole is a Strategy Consultant, Facilitator, Coach, Keynote speaker, MC and ECD and Climate Action Advocate. She is an Advisory Board member in Games For Change Africa, a role in which she can use her combined experience from the past 20 years in multiple industries – tourism, fashion, film, conservation, early childhood development, social impact investing and most recently organisational culture and climate shaping.
Nicole’s advocation for curiosity and lifelong experiential learning is certainly at home in the world of gaming!
We look forward to welcoming her and the G4C team at Africa Games Week 2023! |