Every year, the cosplay floor gets the cameras. The costumes, the crowd reactions, the viral clips, all of it earns its spotlight, and rightly so. But tucked away from the noise, in rooms with fewer flashing lights and far more folding chairs, Lagos Comic Con has quietly hosted some of the sharpest conversations in Africa’s comics and animation industry.
As the convention returns to the Landmark Event Centre on September 12 for its 15th anniversary edition, under the theme “Where Are the Superheroes?”, it feels like the right moment to revisit that other stage. Because if the question the convention is asking this year is where its superheroes are hiding, some of them have already answered it, from a panel table, microphone in hand.
On Lagos Comic Con’s Own Stage
At the previous edition, the Comic Republic team- CEO Jide Martin, Head of Production Michael Balogun, Creative Director Tobe Max Ezeogu, and Animation Lead Esemjay Jonathan- broke down over a decade of trial and error into a blueprint for building a sustainable comic brand. The lessons ranged from the practical (create for monetisation, not just passion) to the philosophical (your IP is your greatest asset, so don’t sell it too soon). It remains one of the clearest business masterclasses to ever happen on a Lagos Comic Con stage, detailing the blueprint for building a 360 comic brand.
At the 2024 edition, Ibrahim Ganiyu (Sir Gai, founder of ICStudios) and Ejob Nathaniel (CEO, Zebra Comics) sat down to talk about diversity and inclusion and refused to give the easy answer. Their argument: representation should come from the story, not from a checklist built to please an audience that will never be satisfied anyway. It was a session that pushed back on performative inclusion in a way few African comics conversations had done publicly before, offering a provocative reminder that you will never be diverse enough.
Also from the 2024 edition, animators Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku (co-founder, Kugali) and Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie (founder, SimOne’s Oasis Foundation) made the case that African animation studios are sitting on an underused talent pool: neurodivergent creatives. Tonye’s own daughter, who has autism, was set to voice a character in an upcoming series, a small but telling example of what inclusion looks like when it’s built into production rather than bolted onto a mission statement, shedding critical light on the untapped potential of neurodivergent talent.
Three panels, three very different rooms, one throughline: business strategy, industry culture, and workforce inclusion, three conversations that shape the industry just as much as any costume contest, even if they rarely trend.
Unpacking the Legacy: Nostalgia, Evolution, and Anticipation
The legacy of these panel discussions is deeply tied to the physical and symbolic evolution of the convention itself. To truly grasp how far the event has come, one must look at how its visual identities and brand ambassadors have reflected the growing ambitions of the ecosystem over time. Beyond the panel stages, the convention’s identity has been continually shaped by its visual icons, as captured through a vivid tale of Lagos Comic Con through its mascots.
This visual evolution mirrors the broader structural growth of Nigeria’s flagship pop-culture gathering. From humble beginnings to becoming a central nexus for creative professionals across the continent, tracing the journey reveals how a single gathering transformed into a massive industry catalyst. Understanding this trajectory highlights the broader history and evolution of Lagos Comic Con.
That momentum culminated in unprecedented buzz ahead of each edition, setting the stage for the intense industry dialogue we see today. Every gathering brings together creators, studios, and fans under one roof to push African narrative boundaries further, capturing a moment when anticipation reached a fever pitch for the event.
This Year, TheACE Takes the Mic
This year, TheACE will not just be covering the panel stage; we will be on it.
We are confirmed for a main stage session at Lagos Comic Con 2026, built around the findings of the Nigerian Comic Book Industry Report, produced by Bookause Nigeria in collaboration with us (TheACE), and already backed by endorsements from the Oyo State and Lagos State Ministries. It is the first time data this comprehensive on the industry has had a stage this big to stand on.
Details on the panel, who is speaking, and exactly what we will be unpacking are dropping soon.
If the past decade of panels has taught us anything, it is that the real superheroes of this industry are not always the ones in costume. Sometimes they are the ones with a microphone and a hard truth. This year, we are bringing the data.
Follow TheACE for the full panel details as they’re announced.
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AI Use at TheACE
TheACE uses artificial intelligence tools to support research, drafting and analysis across Africa’s creative industries. All content is verified, edited and approved by our human editorial team to ensure accuracy, clarity and responsible storytelling. AI assists our work; it does not replace human judgment.
