My ambition is for Africa to lead the world in boardgames – Kenechukwu

Twenty four -year -old Kenechukwu Ogbuagu (KC) is a development worker and a board game designer, who started NIBCARD Nig, a designing, production and distribution company and also hosted African Boardgame Convention #ABCon. He designs board games with African theme and culture.  He was recently approved as a boardgame designer on Boardgame Geek. Since 2013 […]

Twenty four -year -old Kenechukwu Ogbuagu (KC) is a development worker and a board game designer, who started NIBCARD Nig, a designing, production and distribution company and also hosted African Boardgame Convention #ABCon. He designs board games with African theme and culture.  He was recently approved as a boardgame designer on Boardgame Geek. Since 2013 when he first designed a game on a paper, he has gone on to publish 7 games and sold thousands of them. In this interview, Abuja based Kenechukwu talks about the gains and challenges of venturing into something different and what to expect at the 2017 ABcon.

 

What is ABcon and what motivated it?

The African Boardgame Convention (ABCon) is a yearly free Table top event in Africa that involves playing board games, card games, dice gamers and also a platform for networking of gamers and designers. It was first conceived in 2016, when the first edition was held. It was named arguably the first boardgame convention in West Africa by the Nigerian Television Authority.

 ABCon was conceived from a genuine hunger to promote boardgaming in Nigeria and to be able to share stories that form our realities in Nigeria. Even more, allow people (players) take part in the story by playing the game. There was this hunger to involve people in this fantasy world of gaming and the best way we could think of was to organize a beautiful experience.

 

 Why are you interested in promoting table top gaming in Nigeria?

It’s simple; it’s to help facilitate new relationships. There is this beauty that you witness when people are playing table top games with loved ones or total strangers. It’s miraculous. Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people yet we do not have more than 7 games in our regular market. 

This means we are denied of games, stories that would foster a healthy relationship or help transfer  knowledge. This means we are denied the many job opportunities that could come out of just one boardgame – jobs like, design, production, marketing, among others. 

 

 ABCon held in 2016 and it is one of your most talked about events; any plans for this year?

Yes, we definitely intend to continue with it and even move it to a new location. This edition – the second – will be held in Abuja in September and that would make it twice in a row. We are really looking forward to what it would become in future.

 

What should people expect at this year’s ABCon?

 This year, we are organizing 12 hours of gaming to reach a target of about 1000 people –  the first of its kind within sub-Saharan Africa. And we intend to make it free.

 We have competitions, play offs, prototype testing and free games to give.

 At the convention, people will see new games that have never been seen in Nigeria. Games from Europe, America, Asia and Autralia. Including of course, our Made-in-Nigeria games and games from other parts of Africa.

 Particularly, participants might be interested in visiting our ABCon shrine decorated to give a wowing experience to people who come for the event

 This year’s edition will be held in Abuja on September 17, 2017. It will be starting at 9:00am to 9:00pm

 

  What kind of reaction do you get when you tell people you are a game designer?

Well, it’s difficult to be the only one doing what you are doing around you. Most times, it takes a lot of mental strength than actual physical work. But often than not, I have been asked if designing baordgames is a ‘thing’.

 

 Oh! This one makes me boil inside; “So you design Ludo and Chess and Snake and Ladder”.

 Some of our gaming activities come from the desire to break stereotypes about general tabletop gaming in Nigeria and other part of Africa.

 Most Nigerian parents do not want their children to play cards because they think it’s only for gambling.

 

What are the skill set required to venture into your line of work?

To join the baordgaming community, all you have to do is love to play games! That’s all and you are in. Designing can be learnt. It starts small with simple designs and then grows into what you want it to be. 

 Anyone can join the community and make it more beautiful by using their skill sets such as graphic design, journalism, photography, and artistry.

 

 Can you mention some of the events/projects you have organized?

In 2015, I organized my first convention. It was quite small but we had so much fun and tried out new games. Since then, I have organized or taken part in boardgame competitions, boardgame play offs, and boardgame training/workshops in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kwara and Ogun State. And they were all free.

 In this age where technology seems to have taken over everything, what do you think is the place of games such as yours in Nigeria and the world at large?

In fact, boardgames have never been more popular in any era than this. The advent of technology and social media have made boardgames more necessary because we are sociable by nature and hence want to have more physical interaction in a fun way.

 Already, there are applications of technology to boardgaming which are not limited to video or mobile edition but actual electronic board and pieces moving. There are already discussions of holograms for boardgames and prototypes made.

 Boardgame has been there for centuries and from the look of it, there is still a long ride ahead. And this time, Nigeria and African will be leading with new games and narratives.

 

 What are the challenges so far?

My biggest challenge is finding the complete and correct human resources I need to actualize our mission. Being that it’s a new industry, people are afraid. Am currently in search of a team of young people; who are willing to add value to what we want to achieve with the Table-top gaming industry in Nigeria.

 

What are your plans for the future?

At the moment, I have a registered company called NIBCARD Nig Ltd. We are a designing, production and distribution company in Nigeria and we focus on African themed boardgames. And we also make our games in Nigeria. Our mission is to introduce boardgames in one million homes in Nigeria by the year 2020. Part of what we are already doing is publishing other Nigerian Boardgame designers, organizing playoffs and mini conventions, boardgame cafes and online/offline workshop on boardgame designs.