As the geek calendar continues to grow across the African continent, Bookause hosted the third edition of its annual Geek Pop Up this past June.

The event kicked off around midday with a panel session led by experts in the book industry. Bookause’s Director of Operations, Nneka Ojiawuna, steered a rich discussion on the challenges and opportunities of reaching readers in a diverse market. Mr Ekom Henry Itauma, Irene Okon, and Wole Awe contributed passionately to the conversation — with Henry advocating for aggressive marketing strategies, while Irene leaned towards letting quality work speak for itself.

The second session, hosted by TheACE, focused on African comics in digital media. It began with TheACE’s founder, Mujeeb Jummah, sharing how he identified a visibility gap in the Nigerian comic space and set out to address it through digital media. Another panellist, Seyi Onibudo, founder of ComicWox, spoke candidly about the struggle of everyday creators, the importance of building connections with fans, and how digital platforms can help ease creators’ journeys through numerous challenges.

On the other hand, Tobi DD Ayegbusi, Co-founder of Brown Roof Studio, made a strong case for preserving the traditional side of the comic book industry. While acknowledging the benefits of digital media, he championed passion-led storytelling and emphasised the need to protect physical formats.

Bringing balance to the dialogue, Claude Opara, Co-founder of Teembooktu, reflected on the role of traditional comic books in his early education. He underlined their national significance and suggested that digital efforts should complement — not compete with — traditional publishing.

Between sessions, attendees enjoyed a lively mix of cosplay, comedy skits, and music performances. The convener of the event promised a much better line of events in subsequent editions of the event in her vote of thanks.