The future of gaming is diverse, inclusive, and global – founder, Maliyo Games

Hugo Obi, founder, Maliyo Games, has described the future of gaming as diverse, inclusive, and global, with Africa playing a big part of that trajectory.

According to him, the Pan-African game development studio has been building games that reflect Africa’s culture, stories, and her people, which he considers being the beginning of the global appeal for stories out of Africa.

“At the heart of this growth is GameUp Africa, Maliyo’s developer training program launched in 2021. With over 6,000 applicants to date, the initiative has become a pipeline for nurturing young African developers — many of whom worked on the featured games and Maliyo’s collaboration with Disney on Iwájú: Rising Chef,” Obi said.

As part of Apple’s annual editorial celebrating African innovation across apps, games, music, and film, Maliyo’s Crazy Ludo, Safari City, and Whot King were handpicked and showcased with exclusive, Africa Day-themed updates — all crafted by local talent trained through Maliyo’s flagship GameUp Africa initiative.

According to Obi, the Africa Day editions of Crazy Ludo, Safari City, and Whot King are available from May 21, 2025 on the App Store and Google Play. He expressed delight that its selection for this year’s Africa Day App Store celebration places a spotlight on Africa’s mobile-first gaming future and the creative power of African talent.

“This recognition from Apple is a huge moment for us — and for African game development as a whole. It validates the years of hard work by our amazing team across the continent. We’re proud to tell African stories through our games, built by African developers, for a global audience,” Obi said, disclosing that Maliyo Games, which was founded in Lagos in 2012, has become a cultural ambassador through gaming.

Obi also disclosed that Maliyo’s inclusion in Apple’s Africa Day feature follows a broader trend of rising interest in African gaming. According to him, a recent KPMG report revealed that the continent’s gaming industry generated over $1 billion in revenue last year, cementing its place within Africa’s creative economy.