As Nigeria’s creative calendar winds toward its final quarter, attention naturally turns to Lagos Comic Convention, the country’s most visible celebration of pop culture. Yet, beyond the energy and scale of Lagos, a network of smaller, equally passionate conventions is steadily shaping the nation’s comic and geek culture landscape.

When the first Nigerian Comic Book Industry Report was published earlier this year in collaboration with Bookause, we unveiled several other similar events. The nominees for the Comic Book Industry Event of the Year at the third edition of Comic Con Ibadan (Synergy 2025) further helped many fans learn just how widespread these gatherings have become.

From Abuja to Port Harcourt, Ibadan to Benin, these conventions, often under the radar, are playing vital roles in the growth of Nigeria’s comic, animation, and creative storytelling ecosystem. Here’s a look at some of them.

Abuja Comic Convention (ACAC)

First up, we have the comic convention happening in Nigeria’s capital city. Formerly known as the Capital City Comic Convention, the Abuja Comic Art Convention (ACAC) launched just a year ago with the theme “Comics to Screen Films in Nigeria”, highlighting the growing intersection between comics and film industry. Now rebranded, its second edition, themed “Collaboration Over Competition,” is set to hold on Saturday, 11 October 2025, at Truck Central, Abuja.

Under the stewardship of Creative Art Studio, ACAC is positioning itself as the North-Central’s leading celebration of comics, animation, pop culture, and creative storytelling. The event will feature live art exhibitions, animation screenings, cosplay runways, fan activations, panel discussions, performances in music, dance, and spoken word, as well as industry-focused talks and networking opportunities.

According to the organisers, the convention’s mission is to strengthen Nigeria’s creative ecosystem — fostering collaboration, spotlighting emerging talent, and amplifying African storytelling on a national stage.

Nerdwork Comic Con

In the South-South region, Nerdwork Comic Con has steadily built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most dynamic pop culture events. Founded five years ago by Benny Asitonka-Joe, the Port Harcourt-based convention celebrates comics, gaming, cosplay, anime, and other aspects of geek culture, creating a vibrant space for creators and fans to connect and collaborate.

The 2025 edition, held in September, featured an exciting lineup including live band performances, gaming tournaments, cosplay competitions, and panel discussions. The cosplay segment remains one of its strongest attractions, with participants known for their creativity and innovative interpretations of popular characters.

Beyond entertainment, Nerdwork Comic Con has become an important creative platform in Port Harcourt, helping to position the city as an emerging hub for Nigeria’s pop culture enthusiasts.

PH City Comic Con

After a brief hiatus, PHCity Comic Con made a notable return in 2025, reaffirming its influence as a regional gathering point for comics, gaming, and film. Led by event director Barida Lucy Alawa, the convention continues to emphasise community and opportunity, two ideals at its core since inception. It was conceived as a space where the city’s creative minds and enthusiastic fans could come together, share ideas, and inspire one another.

Since launching as the first comic convention in Rivers State, PH City Comic Con has introduced initiatives that have left a tangible mark on the local scene. The event’s Artist Alley and Creative Spotlight initiatives have provided illustrators, animators, authors, and storytellers with the visibility and connections needed to expand their audiences and pursue professional growth. Through these efforts, PHCity Comic Con continues to nurture the city’s creative ecosystem and build bridges between local talent and wider industry networks.

Comic Con Ibadan

As stated in our introduction, a good one is Comic Con Ibadan. In the South-West, it has become a key fixture in Nigeria’s pop culture calendar. Now in its third edition, it has built a solid reputation for energising the country’s comic and animation industry from the ground up.

Under the leadership of convener Adedayo Adeoye Erivic, the June 2025 edition drew over 30 sponsors, partners, exhibitors, and vendors, with attendance exceeding 800, a 30% increase from the previous year. Social media buzz, from tweets and retweets to Instagram stories and Facebook posts, reflected the event’s growing influence and the passion of its community.

It’s award category introduced new publishers like The Machine CP who rivalled house-hold names like Comic Republic in clinching several wins. The event also expanded into the gaming scene leveraging on its partnership with Nexal Gaming.

Others Worth Mentioning

Modelled after Lagos Comic Convention, a “cousin event” to Comic Con Ibadan, the Ibadan Fan Expo debuted in July 2025. It featured games, cosplay competitions, and engaging panel sessions. A total prize pool of ₦250,000 and more was shared across categories, with ₦100,000 each awarded to the winners of the kids and adult cosplay contests, and ₦50,000 going to the drawing competition. Winners also received two-month learning and internship opportunities at Spoof Animations.

Additinally, we have Uniben Comic Con. Although still developing in scale, it represents the growing enthusiasm for geek culture within Nigerian universities. Its 2024 edition, held at the University of Benin’s Fine Art Drawing Studio, showcased the creativity of students and young professionals eager to carve their niche in Edo State’s comic and animation scene. As a grassroots initiative, Uniben Comic Con holds promise as a future catalyst for nurturing talent and encouraging creative entrepreneurship among the next generation of storytellers.

Beyond these, several other smaller gatherings continue to enrich Nigeria’s comic and pop culture scene, including Geek Pop Up and Fireside Chat by Sir Gai, both spotlighted in our industry report. Each contributes to a growing tapestry of conventions that collectively define the evolution of the Nigerian comic book and animation ecosystem. More recently, Abuja-based Symphonii Studios unveiled Frame Fest. Although details are yet to be made known, it is teased for November 22 as Nigeria’s biggest celebration of comics, animation, gaming & storytelling.

Tell Us What We Are Missing

Of course, no list is ever complete. We can only point our readers to the ones on our radar. If there’s a comic, gaming, or pop culture convention we’ve missed, send us an email and we’ll be glad to update this story or feature it in a follow-up article. After all, the growth of Africa’s creative industry depends on how well we tell and share these stories.