Hugo Obi
Hugo Obi is the founder and CEO of Maliyo Games, a Lagos-based mobile game studio and one of Africa's longest-serving game developers, known for building culturally inspired titles for African and global audiences.
Role: Founder and CEO, Maliyo Games
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Background
Hugo Obi founded Maliyo Games in 2012 after identifying a gap in mobile gaming for African audiences. Before founding Maliyo, he studied finance in Manchester, worked in strategy in Singapore, and gained professional experience at General Electric in London.
He built his early reputation on culturally grounded mobile titles including Mosquito Smasher, Okada Rider, Aboki Run, and Whot King, titles that established Maliyo as a pioneer in African mobile game development. His work has been covered by CNN, BBC, Forbes, and the Guardian, and recognised with awards including the Rising Star Award in the UK, the Future Africa Award in Nigeria, and the Harvard Venture Competition in the US.
Current Focus
Obi has consolidated Maliyo's resources around a single flagship title, Safari City, a narrative-driven property development and match-3 game built around African architecture, lifestyle, and storytelling. The studio previously operated three live titles simultaneously but narrowed its focus to accelerate quality and global competitiveness.
Maliyo operates with a 30-person pan-African team across five countries, built through its GameUp Africa talent accelerator. The studio is targeting 1 million downloads for Safari City and is the host of MaliyoCon, an annual company-led conference for players and partners.
Industry Position
Obi is one of the longest-serving founders in African mobile game development and among the most vocal advocates for building globally competitive studios from the continent. He has presented at Google PlayTime in London, Game On in Toronto, Amaze in Johannesburg, and the Fak'ugesi Festival. Maliyo has partnered with Arizona State University to deliver AI and game development training, with over 150 micro-credentials awarded to its first cohort.
What He Is Open To
Investment conversations for African mobile game studios. Publishing and distribution partnerships with a global reach. Talent pipeline and accelerator collaborations across Africa.
Introduction Network
Available for introductions through IsaKaba's introduction network.
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