With THISDAY, It’s Game On!

THISDAY becomes the first daily newspaper in Nigeria, and by extension Africa to have pages solely dedicated to the multibillion-naira gaming industry, writes Nseobong Okon-Ekong

The better part of my career in journalism had taken me to major media establishments like The PUNCH, Raypower 100.5FM, Daily Times, The Guardian and THISDAY, mainly treading the journalistic landscape of culture/arts, tourism and entertainment reporting until four years ago when I became a wild-card Group Politics Editor. That brief has now ended.
In August 2015, I wrote a story on the cover of GLITTERATI, the human-interest section in THISDAY, The Sunday Newspaper titled, ‘Tapping into the N40 Billion Sports Betting Industry’. I had interviewed Mr. Yahaya Maikori, a brilliant lawyer who was the president of the Nigeria Gaming Association. He, it was, who first opened my eyes to the huge gold mine embedded in the gaming matrix.

My previous understanding of gaming was limited to gambling, and it was mostly coloured by negative connotations. I couldn’t associate gaming with the ability to multi-task and improve logic, helping to pinpoint decisions quickly. Hardly is the self-confidence that comes with becoming a master of the game emphasised over the proclivity towards becoming a loser.

Following closer interaction with Maikori, I became obsessed with the idea of providing a one-stop media platform to pool news and events in the gaming industry. Since then, I have been assailed by the Baaden-Meinhof Effect, which describes a phenomenon in which the frequency of something seems to increase immediately after a person learns about it. Suddenly, I see gaming everywhere I turn! There seems to be an implicit gaming angle in everything. Therefore, I have decided to be a witness and a chronicler of the Nigerian (and African) gaming industry. I have asked myself a few questions, which I may not have all the answers to at this time. I am convinced, however, that I should take this pioneering step.

I will be helping to shape a thriving industry. As a pioneer reporter in a niche market, I will be walking in the footsteps of Akin Adeoya, the first to explore marketing/advertising reporting in a national newspaper. Incidentally, the publication was in THISDAY. Mention must also be made of the inimitable Tope Ogbeni-Awe, who pioneered tourism reporting in Nigeria. Again, THISDAY is making history with the publication of Gaming Week, and the team comprising John Bamidele, Akeem Lasisi, Vanessa Obioha and me (Nseobong Okon-Ekong) have the distinction of a pioneering status. THISDAY becomes the first daily newspaper in Nigeria, and by extension Africa to have pages solely dedicated to gaming.

The gaming industry has experienced a quantum leap with the application of technology into its processes.

Gaming is fast gaining ground in Nigeria because we have experienced an influx of foreign gaming brands into Nigeria in the past two to three years. In 2021, the gaming industry was worth approximately $300 billion globally. In the same year in Nigeria, according to a widely quoted publication by Renaissance Capital Report, 23 per cent of Nigerians were involved in playing games. The industry recorded $185 million.

It must be emphasised that the revenue is potentially higher as a sizeable portion of revenue can’t be tracked. Nigeria is ranked third among the top three gaming nations in Africa, behind South Africa and Ghana.

However, the stage is set for further expansion. Gaming is going to be a big business in the next couple of years.