Abia, firm collaborate to make state leading gaming industry

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

The Abia State Government is collaborating with Betking company to make Abia a leading gaming state in Nigeria, both in development as well as in competition.

The CEO, Abia Tech Hub, ThankGod Maduka Kalu, made the disclosure during a Game Changers Fest organised by the state government and the Betking for youths in Umuahia.

Kalu described the Game Changers Fest as a technology festival that was aimed at bringing the thriving gaming industry down to the South East, and Abia State in particular.

“If you look at the gaming industry in the next five to six years, Abia State will be among the leading gaming industries, both in development and as well as competition.

“If you go to places like Lagos, Abuja, and Asaba, you will see that a lot of young people are making a whole lot of money playing games. Most of our parents think that gaming is something that is bad, but it is not so.

“Gaming is like sports, we have such games as Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, Assassin’s Creed, and the rest of them. So these are like different niches that young Abians can join.”

MD of Betking, Godswill Ukanwoke, described the Game Changers Fest as a technology festival that was launched last year to bring the ideas of the value chain of gaming to young people.

Ukanwoke said the idea of the festival was to create an awareness, to let young Abians know that gaming is the future for their success.

“We want to show young people that there is a life they can create in gaming, just like they can create a life in sports. That’s why we brought about this festival. It’s a festival that we want to be a national festival. It’s not just to be in one state. We launched in Lagos last year and we started off in Lagos, and we’ve brought it to Abia now.”

Ukanwoke said they are also bringing in the older people who are supposed to be the mentors, who are already in the space.