At the recent Geek PopUp event celebrating the Nigerian book industry, Jide Martins, the CEO of Comic Republic, shared powerful insights into the challenges, opportunities, and future of Nigeria’s comic book industry. Known for breaking new ground with African storytelling, Martins sparked an engaging discussion about the global appeal of African narratives and the industry’s potential for growth.

Jide Martins challenged traditional ideas of African storytelling right from the start, saying, “We have been brainwashed to think an African story means a history story.” According to him, this viewpoint limits African creativity. He argued that when Western countries tell their stories, they focus on the future and exciting adventures, rather than on the dark parts of their history. “If we go into the history of the UK or Europe as a whole, that place was dirty and had diseases, but that’s not the story they are telling us today”. In the same way, he opines that African stories can explore any time period—the past, present, or future—as long as they reflect African identities and experiences.

While he acknowledged the Nigerian comic industry is still in its infancy, Martins expressed optimism about its future. He talked about the immense talents of local creators and the need to build the right structures to support them. “We need to build the infrastructure and an ecosystem,” he said, adding that his goal is to train talents and replicate Comic Republic’s successful model.

Comic Republic publishes over 24 comics annually, supported by a robust ecosystem of artists, marketers, and business developers. Martins is also expanding beyond comics, creating a platform called CR Motion Plus to showcase African animations to the world. “If you have an animation and it’s African, no matter where you are in the world, we will put it on our platform and pay you fairly while we’re earning,” he said, emphasising his commitment to reducing entry barriers for African creators, opening the doors to making their work accessible to global audiences.

Martins also shed light on how to make money from comics. He explained that the comics themselves don’t generate much income; instead, the intellectual property (IP) tied to the comics holds immense value. “The comic book itself does not make money. It is the interest around it. It is the IP that can be monetised in different ways,” he stated. By turning their characters and stories into merchandise, TV shows, and ads, creators can unlock new revenue streams. He encouraged creators to establish legal entities to attract shareholders, noting that Comic Republic has secured partnerships with global brands like Samsung, Meta, and Al Jazeera, which pay in foreign currency for African stories.

To stay competitive globally, Martins urged creators to focus on building strong IPs that can be adapted into films, books, and other formats. He also highlighted the potential of leveraging storytelling to collaborate with new spaces like fintech and banking. He pointed to Comic Republic’s partnership with Universal Studios as a landmark achievement. Universal embraced the Vanguard series, a comic with multi-dimensional African superheroes. “What Universal saw was a story that could be converted into an animated series,” Martins revealed, highlighting the global relevance of African storytelling. “They did not have a superhero franchise, and they still don’t,” he also noted. The partnership confirmed that African comics can succeed on the biggest international stages. This deal positions Comic Republic as a significant player in the global entertainment industry, with Universal aiming to bring their live-action adaptation to life.

Concluding the discussion, Martins reflected on the world’s growing interest in Africa’s rich trove of stories. “The world now recognises Africa has stories. The world is more open to content from Africa than before,” he said, calling on creators to take advantage of this unique moment. With African storytelling in higher demand than ever, creators have a chance to shape perceptions and expand opportunities across industries.

Jide Martins isn’t just reimagining comics in Nigeria; he’s spearheading a movement to place African stories at the heart of global entertainment. Bold and visionary, Martins is paving the way for African creators to transform how the world sees and tells its stories.