The past few months have been a defining period for the Bookause Comic Industry Impact Awards (BCII). What began as a simple idea evolved into a collaborative effort shaped by the realities, strengths, and limitations of Nigeria’s comic ecosystem.

Rather than replicate existing award models, we designed the BCII Awards to reflect what is currently attainable within the local comic industry. Event organisers and industry stakeholders were invited to submit nominations across five award categories. These nominations were subsequently reviewed by a joint in-house editorial team from Bookause and The African Comics and Cinematic Empire (TheACE), resulting in three shortlisted nominees per category.

Four of the five award categories were opened to public voting, placing the final decision in the hands of the community. One category was editorially determined. With over 150 verified votes recorded, the winners of the 2025 BCII Awards have now been confirmed.

Comic Republic Wins Comic Publisher of the Year

The Comic Publisher of the Year category recognises publishers who released notable comic titles within the year, particularly those that achieved measurable reach locally or internationally. As outlined in our November editorial, this category prioritises consistency, visibility, and audience engagement.

With 66% of the total votes, Comic Republic emerged as the winner, ahead of Peda Entertainment, which received 4.9%, and The Machine, which secured 29%.

Comic Republic is Africa’s leading character-based media and entertainment company, publishing bold and compelling stories rooted in African culture and identity. Based in Lagos, Nigeria, the company is the continent’s foremost comic book publisher, reaching audiences across Africa and globally. Through a rich universe of original heroes and stories, Comic Republic blends contemporary creativity with timeless African traditions, helping shape new legends and amplify authentic African storytelling on the world stage.

Alexander Esene is Comic Creator of the Year

The Comic Creator of the Year award celebrates individual creators whose work demonstrates originality, creative excellence, sustained audience interest, and measurable reach.

With 46.9% of the vote, Alexander Esene of Comic Republic claimed the award, ahead of John Uche, creator of Celestial Eyes, who received 27.8%, and Oluwatobi Oluwafemi, creator of Red Days, with 25.3%.

Usifoh “Alexander” Esene is a Nigerian digital illustrator whose work blends painting and traditional comic style. Inspired early by comics such as Spider-Man, Archie, and manga, as well as cartoons and anime, he officially began his career at Comic Republic and has contributed to titles such as Aje, Ireti, Vanguards, and Chibok. Now an Art Director at the same studio, he continues to refine his craft while illustrating original stories.

ArtGodwinKing Clinched Comic Influencer of the Year

The Comic Influencer of the Year category recognises individuals who have significantly promoted Nigerian comics within and beyond their immediate audiences.

Following his recent recognition at the NICE Awards, Godwin Jackson, popularly known as ArtGodwinKing, secured the BCII Comic Influencer of the Year award with 48% of the votes. He placed ahead of Afroblot creator Erivic Adedayo, who received 26.4%, and industry pioneer Ayodele Elegba, who garnered 25.7%.

Jackson Godwin (ArtGodwinKing) is a Nigerian artist and content creator passionate about spotlighting African creativity in comics, animation, games, and entertainment. He’s the founder of NigerianACA, an initiative helping young artists kickstart their careers in animation and comic art, and runs All2Media Studios, a platform that promotes African creative projects. He’s worked on campaigns for major titles like Iyanu and collaborates with top studios and events to grow Africa’s entertainment scene.

Comic Panel Named Comic Media of the Year

The Comic Media of the Year award acknowledges platforms that have consistently amplified industry conversations, documented creator stories, and contributed to greater visibility for African comics.

In a media landscape where industry-focused comic coverage remains limited, the category was designed to recognise platforms actively addressing this gap.

With over 50% of the votes, ComicPanel World emerged as the winner, surpassing Create or Die Trying by Ibrahim Ganiyu, which received 31.4%, and the Comnerdic Podcast by Charles Akano, with 16%.

ComicPanel is a Nigeria-based digital media platform dedicated to documenting, celebrating, and amplifying African comics, animation, and visual storytelling. Through news coverage, interviews, features, reviews, and awards such as The NICE Awards (ComicPanel Awards), ComicPanel spotlights creators, studios, and stories shaping the African pop-culture and comic ecosystem.  With a strong focus on authenticity, cultural representation, and industry growth, ComicPanel serves as both an archive and a community hub connecting African creators to wider audiences while championing the power of comics as tools for storytelling, identity, and cultural preservation.

Cosmic Land Studios Awarded Comic Brand of the Year

Unlike the other categories, Comic Brand of the Year was not determined by public voting. This award recognises organisations or individuals whose contributions demonstrate sustained support for the Nigerian comic industry beyond content production alone.

After internal deliberations, the BCII editorial committee selected Cosmic Land Studios, led by Harrison Prime, as the 2025 recipient. While fellow nominees Galatoons Media and ArtGodwinKing were equally deserving, Cosmic Land Studios stood out for its consistent investment in subsidising of printing aspect of the comic book production process, as well as providing the capital and logistic resources, making affordable pricing of comic books possible for local comic creators and studios.

The Industry Report Moved to January 2026

The Bookause Annual Nigerian Comic Industry Report, initially scheduled for release alongside the BCII Awards, has been rescheduled for publication in January 2026.

Following the conclusion of the comic publishers’ and readers’ surveys, the editorial team determined that additional time is required to compile, analyse, and contextualise the data. This extension will allow the report to deliver deeper insights and a more comprehensive assessment of the Nigerian comic industry.

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AI Use at TheACE
TheACE uses artificial intelligence tools to support research, drafting and analysis across Africa’s creative industries. All content is verified, edited and approved by our human editorial team to ensure accuracy, clarity and responsible storytelling. AI assists our work; it does not replace human judgment.