How Nigeria’s Pro League Forging Path for eSports

Emerging victorious at the 7th Nigerian Pro League (NPL), powered by 10N8E, 101 Gaming’s recent win serves as a testament to how eSports is gradually stepping into the mainstream in Nigeria, writes Iyke Bede

eSportsis no longer confined to our satellite television screens, where viewers once caught glimpses of gamers battling for a share of the prize pool; it is now blossoming into a full-fledged culture embraced by people from all walks of life, from players to viewers. The growing enthusiasm witnessed in these live events, and an increasing involvement of local talent signal a shift in the perception of gaming, not just as entertainment but as a serious industry.

“When you enter the eSports arena, it’s like supporting a football team,” said Adebayo Onigbanjo, founder of 10N8E, explaining the immersive elements that shape the NPL and other eSports events. “You build an affiliation with a team. These games are entertainment too—like in ‘Call of Duty,’ where instead of watching a scripted movie, you’re watching players control characters in real-time.”

While the NPL has made a name for itself, it has even gone as far as designing a unique trophy, emblematic of its vision for continued growth. This year, members of the 1011 Gaming will get to keep the trophy for a year as bragging rights for their ₦800,000 prize money. Before now, the NPL was a community-organised tournament until its acquisition in 2022.

“Like most gaming eSports, we have communities,” Onigbanjo clarified. “Whether it’s on a university campus or just a group of friends that say, ‘Oh, let us play,’ and that’s how NPL works.”

He added, “NPL was started by a group and one of the key guys that started it still works with us. They didn’t have any prize pool, but, like I said, they were just friends. So, we acquired it when we started. We acquired that in 2022 to say, ‘Look, this is a community that I think we can take to the next level.’ And so, since we’ve joined, we’ve done NPL seasons four, five, six, and seven. We introduced the trophy last year. So, before that, there was no trophy; it is a physical trophy that people actually keep for a year.”

The NPL operates two splits (an adaptation of Tencent’s eSports tournament)—Harmattan and Rainy—selecting 10 teams based on the points system, while an additional team, voted as a fan favourite, is added to make 11 teams for the grand final. This year’s grand final featured six games, with all 44 players competing in person. The competition was fierce. Defending champions 1011 Gaming faced a tough challenge, needing to win the sixth game to secure their title. Last year, season 6 saw 32 players from 16 states compete with limited fan attendance, as the focus was on player experience. However, fans were welcomed this year into the arena, marking a step forward for the event’s growth and engagement.

According to Onigbanjo, navigating the eSports terrain, particularly as one of the pioneers, comes with several unique infrastructure challenges. He notes that while strategic partnerships have helped address some of these issues, a significant win for the eSports community has been the acceptance and involvement of parents, which has boosted their children’s confidence in pursuing careers within the gaming industry.

This year, especially with PUBG Mobile and Tencent, “we got on their radar,” and “they’re now providing us with infrastructure to make it a proper event, such as APIs and assets,” said Onigbanjo.

According to him, these are the types of gaps the organisation has been trying to close.

“It really depends on the publishers recognising Nigeria as a growing market and supporting tournament organisers,” Onigbanjo stressed. “From having no relationships with publishers when we started to where we are now, I think that’s a big step for us. But I think a lot of things really come down to awareness. One is obviously that parents are now getting to understand as well that when these kids are on their phones, they’re actually playing a game.”

Onigbanjo added, “If you think about the tournament that we’re doing, we brought players from 16 states in Nigeria. Some of the players we’re talking about are 19 or 20 years old. So, when you tell your parents, ‘I’m going for a tournament in Lagos,’ it’s kind of eerie, especially with the distance and the mode of transportation that you probably have to use.”

Having parents understand that as well—that he might be playing a 10N8E tournament today, but he’s potentially going to play a PMGC global tournament where he could win $10 million—is important, Onigbanjo pointed out.

“I keep saying that there’s going to be a Burna Boy of eSports, without a doubt. I’m almost certain about it. I see eSports becoming an Olympic sport, seeing the prize pool grow, and seeing more brands becoming aware… these are all opportunities,” he stated.

Onigbanjo acknowledged the unpredictability of eSports growth, emphasising that it often takes just one major event or prize win to ignite widespread interest. He noted an increase in tournament organisers this year, seeing it as a positive trend that raises awareness and boosts participation. For him, this growing interest suggests a movement is forming, similar to how Nollywood developed when people recognised its potential.

He explained that as more skilled individuals enter the eSports space, the industry’s standards improve, and its community expands. Though he refrained from giving a firm forecast, Onigbanjo highlighted the country’s large population, growing gaming access, and increasing game developers as promising signs.

He believes that, like Nollywood, eSports will grow as the audience and involvement increase, although it may still take time to match the scale of established entertainment sectors in Nigeria.