The third edition of Comic Con Ibadan, dubbed Synergy 2025, didn’t just tick the boxes of what fans expected, it raised the bar. Under the leadership of convener Adedayo Adeoye Erivic, Comic Con Ibadan has grown into the leading geek and pop culture convention in West Africa’s largest city. It has steadily built a reputation for spotlighting home-grown talent and energising Nigeria’s comic and animation industry from the ground up.

The latest edition saw over 30 sponsors, partners, exhibitors, and vendors supporting its success. Attendance soared above 800 on the main event, a 30% increase from the previous edition. From the outside, it may look like just another annual pop culture event. But if you ask those who attended, creators, fans, geeks, and first-timers, Synergy 2025 was a different beast altogether. Tweet, retweets, Instagram stories, and Facebook shares from attendees attest to how memorable the event was.

Here’s a rundown of what made this edition one for the history books through the eyes of our team at TheACE.

A Shift to the Sixth Month

For fans and enthusiasts familiar with the event, March had become synonymous with Comic Con Ibadan. That’s when the first two editions were held. But this year, organisers took a bold detour, teasing a June date as early as December 2024, breaking the tradition and building even a bigger anticipation towards the event. The exact day, however, remained a mystery.

That element of suspense sparked a wave of curiosity and anticipation within the community. People weren’t just waiting, they were watching. The mystery turned out an effective tool that build momentum towards its eventual announcement. And when the final date, June 14th, was revealed, it felt like a collective sigh of excitement. In the end, the shift worked: ticket sales spiked, social chatter picked up, and the mystery led to momentum.

A Surprise Collaboration

Comic Con Ibadan was originally set to host its third edition under the theme “Retrofuturism”, as is the tradition. Everyone received a surprise twist barely a month to go. In a strategic collaboration, and handling the geek and comic side of things, Comic Con Ibadan partnered with Nexal Gaming Company, a powerhouse in the local gaming scene, to birth “Synergy 2025”.

This wasn’t a minor tweak—it was a full-blown reimagination. The partnership brought the Esports world into the Comic Con ecosystem. Video games like Free Fire, Call of Duty, and E Football were placed side by side with African board games and card games, thanks to partners like Goondu Games. Even chess and Jenga found their place.

It was geek culture in every form, and the energy was infectious. For the convener, Erivic, this wasn’t just a collaboration; it was a calculated step toward establishing the event as a key player in Nigeria’s creative economy.

Endorsed by the State Government

It’s easy to underestimate the kind of work that goes into securing governmental support, but this year, Comic Con Ibadan pulled it off. The event was officially endorsed by the Oyo State Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with Commissioner Honourable Wasilat Adegoke lending her voice to the movement.

Just as the convener teased, Comic Con Ibadan did go further than just an event. Behind the scenes, sources confirmed that conversations had been ongoing since the second edition. The fruits finally ripened this year, with several ministries, notably the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, offering support. It’s a clear indicator of how far the event has come and how seriously it’s being taken as a platform for youth engagement and industry development.

Happened Over One Week

Unlike the usual one-day burst of excitement (and the three-day format once attempted by Lagos Comic Con), Synergy 2025 spanned an entire week.

It kicked off with Esports qualifiers hosted at the Sultan Bello Dome, University of Ibadan, on Tuesday 10 June. Over 500 students competed in five different video games, spread across three action-packed days.

From there, the event transitioned into its climax on Saturday 14 June at Trenchard Hall, combining competitions, panels, cosplay, exhibitions, and showcases all under one roof. It felt like a festival. A celebration. A reunion. A declaration.

Comic Republic Got Bored of Winning

One of the most anticipated sections of the event, Comic Con Ibadan awards, left no crumbs untouched. Several new comic book studios, artists, writers, and others got featured. All those at the Comic Con Ibadan Awards understand why the room erupted when Michael Balogun, Head of Production at Comic Republic, took the mic and declared, “We keep winning, that's okay, we work hard. However, It'll be nice to see more people rise to the cause: Why? Because we encourage growth and would love to see others grow.”

Comic Republic, for the third year running, claimed the Comic Studio of the Year award. Their dominance felt inevitable, almost effortless. In their acceptance speech, Micheal Balogun boasted about the consistency and their boredom of winning the category with no competition.  Alexander Esene also took home two awards, Artist of the Year and Colourist of the Year, for his phenomenal work on Chibok Issue 2.

But the real plot twist was the rising powerhouse, TheMachine Publishing, who stole the spotlight with five out of nine awards. Within just one year of launching, they’ve scooped international recognition, and Synergy 2025 crowned them Emerging Studio of the Year.

It’s founding member, John Uche was awarded both Comic Book Writer of the Year and Emerging Talent of the Year, while CuisEL Joshua Peach won Letterer of the Year. Their breakout series, Celestial Eyes, clinched Comic Book of the Year.

We Also Got an Honourary Award

This one felt personal. In the run-up to the event, we at TheACE, in collaboration with Bookause, completed the first comprehensive industry report on the Nigerian comic book space. It was a labour of love and curiosity, and the team at Comic Con Ibadan noticed. In recognition of this contribution, an honourary award was presented jointly to TheACE and Bookause.

Other recipients included Harrison Prime, for lowering the barrier to print-quality comics through Cosmic Land Studios, Ayodele Elegba, for building distribution pipelines via African Comics Convention (and other endeavours like Ibadan Fan Expo and Comic Panel Magazine), Somtochukwu Ajuluchukwu, for creating physical creative hubs through Akuko, Krates, and Open Studio Africa for the industry.

So Many Memories Were Made

There’s no way to capture it all. The panels. The spontaneous dance-offs. The laughter from board games. The quiet pride on creators' faces as people picked up their comics. The cosplay that stole the show. The group photos that turned strangers into friends. Synergy 2025 wasn’t just another event, it was a collective love letter to creativity, culture, and community and will remain etched in the memories of geeks and gamers alike.

Sources: Comic Con Ibadan, TheACE