Hugo Obi is a pioneering leader in Africa’s games industry and founder of Maliyo Games, a Lagos-based mobile game studio. A consistent champion of game development on the continent, he has played a defining role in shaping the industry’s growth, talent pipeline, and global relevance. Under his leadership, Maliyo achieved a historic partnership with Disney on Iwaju Rising Chef, the first collaboration between an African game studio and a major global publisher, demonstrating his ability to turn bold vision into world-class results. Hugo is also deeply committed to ecosystem building. He founded GameUp Africa, a leading accelerator that has trained over 2,000 developers since 2021, and led the Africa Games Report, the industry’s most comprehensive research effort with four editions to date. In 2025, he launched MaliyoCON, Africa’s first developer-led mobile games conference, creating a new platform for collaboration and industry leadership. In early 2026, he brokered a landmark deal with Africa’s largest mobile network operator to deliver games to over 100 million subscribers. Hugo and his team have earned multiple awards, global app store features, and media recognition. A sought-after speaker, he has presented at leading events including the Game Developers Conference and Gamescom, and partnered with organizations such as Google, Apple, KPMG, and Disney.
