July 25, 2018

Acclaimed board game designer, Kenechukwu Ogbuagu, is leading an online campaign to set up Nigeria’s first board game table top cafe.

The campaign, which is currently trending on Twitter, contains several options for backing the cafe setup especially for games of African origin.

Ogbuagu, who is the founder of Nigeria’s foremost table top games company, NIBCARD games, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that board gaming is integral in the everyday lives of Nigerians and deserves a community.

He added that the campaign was borne out of the need to get Nigerians to spend more quality time playing African themed games.

According to Ogbuagu, board gaming speaks a common language and appeals to everyone especially when it is relatable.

He said, “We need to have a platform where Nigerians can come together and learn life lessons through our African themed games.

“Although so many people know how to play board games, there is hardly a fun avenue for them to showcase these skills and socialise with other people,” Ogbuagu said.

He added that the entire idea was to give the gaming community in Nigeria a new and contemporary perspective and was pleased by the overwhelming progress the campaign has made thus far.

“This Indiegogo games cafe campaign started a few weeks ago and the support it has gotten from the Nigerian online gaming community is outstanding.

“It has raised a lot of conversations on the gaming pattern in Nigeria and gamers are certain that it is needed to institutionalise board games in the country.

“This campaign is a wonderful way to not only have the chance to play these games, but also to foster new designers and voices in board games,” Ogbuagu said.

‘Chinyawa’, cattle ranching board game by NIBCARD

He also stated that the establishment of a games cafe will help to support the spread of board game as a hobby for Nigerians.

Ogbuagu, who is the founder of the African Board Games Convention, is known for designing games that affect key issues in the Nigerian society.

‘Chinyawa’, a game that teaches the importance of ranching for cattle rearing and ‘Oya’ that depicts the life of the average Lagosian are favourites among gamers.