By Juliet Ebirim

The air in Ikoyi, Lagos, buzzed with energy and a palpable sense of connection on Monday evening, as distinguished personalities converged for the official launch of AfriTrivia Jesin Games, a groundbreaking platform poised to redefine how both young and old engage with the rich tapestry of African culture, its diverse people and its multifaceted heritage.

Professor Soji Adelaja, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Jesin Games described AfriTrivia as “a unique game, designed to promote facts about the African continent, improve awareness about Africa, even among Africans themselves, and to better connect the African diaspora from all over the world to their continent of origin.”

With the tagline “Bridging Cultures Through Play”, Professor Adelaja, currently the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy at Michigan State University, underscored the critical need for such a platform. “There is very good evidence that learning is significantly enhanced by game-playing. AfriTrivia is more than just a trivia game, it is also an educational tool, through which you can discover all the cultural and historical diversity in Africa through different topics.”

Special Guest of the occasion, the former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, showered encomiums on the visionary developer of Jesin Games, commending the creation of a game-play that promises to address a significant void in our learning culture. The former presidential candidate passionately urged the developer to make the game readily available to schools across Nigeria, empowering the next generation with a deeper understanding of their heritage and the continent they call home.

“Especially for the young ones. AfriTrivia Jesin Games will fill the void of lack of knowledge about the African continent.”

While announcing the imminent arrival of the digital version of AfriTrivia, the developer and Chief Executive Officer of Jesin Games, Dr. John Esin, a medical doctor from the United States, emphasized the game’s inclusive nature, envisioning it as a tool for “families to play together, friends to play with each other, and classrooms to become ‘creative centres of learning about our world’.”

AfriTrivia is set to launch in Marrakech at the African Heritage Concert and Award Ceremony this weekend, followed by a United States launch in the coming weeks.