Nigerian games shortlisted for International Convention
by Emmanuel Okogba
Three board games made by Nigerian designers have been shortlisted for debut at the 2019 African Board games Convention (AB Con).
News Agency of the Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the list released by AB Con on Monday, the games ‘Wan Wan Touch’, ‘First Mention’ and ‘Village War’ will join other games from around the world.
AB Con is the largest gathering of African board and table top game designers in the world. It is the biggest platform for leading conversations on how best to advance the industry in Africa.
The shortlisted Nigerian games, all produced by Nigeria Board Game Company (NIBCARD), are part of the new wave of table top games designed to tell African stories.
Speaking to NAN, the convener of the convention, Kenechukwu Ogbuagu said that the games were picked for their simple ability to mix nostalgia and history in teaching the world about Nigerians.
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He added that more games will be added to the line-up if the other board game designers meet the criteria, noting that ABCon was beyond debuting games.
“ABCon has always been an avenue where young creative people come together to discuss ways to advance the industry in Africa.
“As the biggest convention for board games, we believe it is our duty to use this platform wisely.
“So, at this edition, there will be a lot of conversation on the growth of Africa in the last decade and how board games can contribute to the next ten years.
“Apart from the Nigerian games debuting, there will be play of games from all over the world as we have a collection of more than 300 games.
“The Nigerian board game industry is picking up fast and we believe more can be done. We are beyond pleased with the submissions for this year and hope that it only gets better,” Ogbuagu said.
NAN reports that the 2019 AB Con scheduled for Dec. 14, will also feature animation debut and panel discussions around the growth of the industry. (NAN)