Game Skills Should Start Before University

Maliyo Games’ third annual Junior Internship is aimed at Lagos children aged 10 to 14 who are curious about games, technology, art, storytelling and problem-solving. Hugo Obi’s public post frames it as hands-on exposure to how games are made, not merely played.

This is a small programme with a larger lesson. Africa’s games industry cannot rely only on university graduates, bootcamps and self-taught adults. The talent pipeline needs earlier contact with production habits: deadlines, feedback, collaboration, design thinking, coding, art, sound, UI and storytelling.

The practical path is to turn youth programmes into repeatable curriculum. Studios, schools and sponsors should create age-appropriate game-making clubs, publish learning outcomes, protect children’s data and safety, and connect the best young creators into later internships, jams and mentorship.