For many of the younger generations, particularly those born between the late 1990s and early 2000s (Millennials and older Gen Z), the sensational comics, Supa Strikas, were the springboard into comic book culture. Launched in South Africa, it was founded by a trio of South African nationals (Andrew Smith, Lee Hartman and Alex Kramer), and a British citizen, Oliver Power. The comic franchise rose rapidly and was soon distributing “1.4 million copies per month in 16 countries.” But (indigenous: Nigerian and African) comic culture, particularly in Nigeria, predates the era of the Supa Strikas.
Indigenous comics enjoyed widespread popularity in Nigeria and across Africa between the 1970s and the 1990s. Titles such as Ikebe Super by Wale Adenuga, Terror Muda by Kola Fayemi and Ghana’s Kaptain Afrika, by Andy Akman, were cultural staples that told African stories at a time when Western superheroes dominated global comic culture.
Unfortunately, military censorship, economic decline and the collapse of the local printing industry in the late 1980s and 1990s disrupted the sector. The rising production cost, shrinking readership and the migration of creative talent contributed to the decline of what many would recognise as Nigeria’s first comic age. Although Supa Strikas attempted to revive the culture in the early 2000s by bypassing traditional printing costs through corporate sponsorships, the local independent comic industry remained largely dormant. The digital revolution attempted to resuscitate comic culture in the mid-2010s, comic culture in Nigeria and, by extension, Africa, is yet to regain the mainstream cultural dominance and commercial profitability it once enjoyed.
“Comics used to be super big in the country, and now it looks like it’s nowhere to be found,” Adeoye Adedayo (well known as Erivic) said. According to Erivic, while the comic “ecosystem” still exists, “the key players are not necessarily putting enough effort into the commercial part.” Erivic is an artist and comic illustrator, with works on local and international platforms. Over the years, he has attempted to push the frontiers of the comic ecosystems. He founded Comics Archives Africa, a digital platform and media hub that catalogues and promotes independent African and Black comic book properties worldwide. He also founded the Unibadan Comic Convention, which provided a platform for comic fans within the University of Ibadan. Building on that foundation, he later established Comicon Ibadan, creating a larger space for comic creators, enthusiasts, and fandom communities in Oyo State. Since its debut in March 2023, Comicon Ibadan has hosted three successful editions and is currently preparing for its fourth edition (CCI 4.0: Get Creative), scheduled for June 27, 2026.
In a conversation with the General Manager at Comic Republic (a Nigerian multimedia company involved in the creation of African superhero and fantasy comic books), Michael Balogun, explained that the key players and industry involved in African comics “struggle” because of issues like “funding, marketing and accessibility.” “Many African comics are actually good, but not enough people know they exist.” Unlike in the past when comics were readily available, now, most comics are digital and “many companies haven’t figured out how to distribute digital comics in a way that reaches large African audiences.” At the same time, he pointed out that not so many people have acknowledged the worth of comics. Thus, funding it is a challenge.
As is the case in the digital era, comics have become increasingly digital. In the past, it rose on the back of the print media, appearing in newspapers, other print media, and special issues. Thus, so much of its continuance in this era rests on the media. “Comics are becoming more connected to multimedia,” Michael Balogun explained. “Today, comics are no longer just books; they are intellectual properties (IPs). A comic can become an animated film, a game, series, toy line, or even a fashion brand. So the future is less about “selling comic books only” and more about building worlds and characters people can connect with across different platforms.”
Williams Owoeye, one of the media team leads for Comicon Ibadan, explained that “media coverage” has a role to play in the expansion of comics in Nigeria and Africa. That role is “in fixing the digital gap that has developed.” In his explanations, he pointed out that as a country and as a continent, “we have not been able to fully transition or carry the culture from the print form it was to the digital form.” The role that the media should play, therefore, is to “bridge the gap and spotlight the opportunities within the culture,” he said.
This burden of media coverage is what has been Mujeeb Jummah’s preoccupation for some time. Mujeeb entered the comic space as a volunteer with the team behind the first edition of Comicon Ibadan and has since explored the media’s role in advancing the growth of comics in Nigeria and Africa through his media platform, The African Comics and Cinematic Empire (The ACE).
According to him, poor media coverage limits opportunities for creators and obscures the industry’s wider potential. This realization prompted him to “start a platform where he could write about his observations within the comic space, and he has been doing this since July 2024.” In Mujeeb’s evaluation, “there are lots of talents across Africa, but they don’t have access to the right infrastructure,” he said. This can be mitigated and tackled with intensive media coverage. Beyond comic books, he argued, comics can serve as foundations for films, games, animations, and other creative products, making media coverage a critical part of industry growth.
One of Erivic’s goals through his work in the comic space is to ensure that local talents have access to the opportunities and support they need to thrive. With more than three thousand attendees recorded across three editions of Comicon Ibadan, the convention has helped draw greater attention to the local comic ecosystem and, consequently, new opportunities for creators and increased industry interest in their work.
“When you come to the Comic Convention, Ibadan, the bulk of what you’re seeing are Nigerian comics, Nigerian games, African comics and all that. This is even one of the reasons we launched the Comic Con Ibadan Awards to spotlight the creatives within this space to show the ecosystem that exists within the space,” Erivic explained. At the conventions, there are provisions for ‘emerging’ creators to showcase what they do and how adept they are at it, thereby growing their audience and connecting to key promoters and publishers.
Williams noted that the team actively educates creators by encouraging them to use their own social media platforms to tell their stories rather than relying on mainstream media. Beyond that, Comic Con Ibadan provides exhibitors with media coverage through collaborative posts on their own platforms, hosts panel sessions to advise creators on building media infrastructure, collaborates with influencers like Godwin Jackson, and has equally hosted masterclasses to help creators improve their craft, scale their work, and build sustainable businesses from it. Ahead of the upcoming edition of Comicon Ibadan, he also said there are preparations to improve media visibility and expand their reach. According to him, efforts have gone into “partnerships and collaborations with people that will give us that media coverage.” He also added that the partnerships for visibility will involve influencers both within and outside the comics space.
Comic conventions hosted in major hubs like Ibadan, Oyo, and Abuja have proven that an enthusiastic market and community are ready to be tapped for growth. Buttressing this, Erivic pointed out that some of the biggest animation projects emerging from the African space today are coming from Nigerian creators. For instance, as Erivic pointed out, Comic Republic signed a major international co-production deal with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Just last year as well, a bunch of Nigerian comic book creators dominated the Glyph Awards in the United States. What remains to be seen is how the market can be grown (in Nigeria) as it has been achieved in the Western, Asian, and other climes. Nevertheless, Erivic cautioned against making comparisons with other markets with more years under their belt.
“We need to understand that our markets are different. So the way you’re going to build in the American market and the way you’re going to build in the Nigerian market is different,” he emphasized. “I think one of the problems is there’s so much over-reliance on the Western model that many Nigerian creators follow, which is making it very difficult for us to properly build. So we have to look at our pace and our environment and see what works and be able to create something around that.”
Michael Balogun, Comic Republic’s General Manager, equally agreed with Erivic in his thoughts. “Some of our strongest works come from embracing African identity fully, our culture, humour, spirituality, history, language, fashion, and daily experiences. That uniqueness is our advantage globally.”
Beyond industry initiatives, stakeholders argue that government support remains crucial. More than just entertainment products, comics are intellectual properties capable of generating opportunities across publishing, animation, gaming, film, merchandising, education, and tourism. “Governments, investors, media companies, and private organizations need to understand that comics can create jobs across publishing, animation, gaming, film, merchandising, education, advertising, and tourism,” Balogun informed.
According to Erivic, the government must create enabling environments because there’s literally no growth if there’s no enabling environment. “Enabling environments in the sense that they can create policies around the comic book space that help creators to create pick up markets and get past a whole lot of challenges battling the comic space.”
Although the comic industry is yet to reclaim the prominence it enjoyed between the 1970s and 1990s, a new wave of creators, publishers, convention organizers, and media advocates is actively rebuilding the ecosystem. Whether that momentum would translate into a sustainable industry will depend on stronger collaboration, increased visibility, investment, and policies that recognize the commercial and cultural value of comics in our world.
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