Nine winners have emerged from over 2000 gamers that competed in the gaming tournament at the recently concluded Techplus 2016 conference and exhibition held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
Players went head to head in three different games; FIFA 16 Soccer, Mortal Kombat and the latest version of Call ofDuty (Black Ops).
In the FIFA 16 Soccer gaming category, Bamigbola Oluwadare emerged as the overall winner after defeating 1,467 gamers, carting away a grand cash prize of N500,000.
Tari Ikoli Travis and Henry Andrew went home with N300,000 and N200,000 as 2nd and 3rd place winners respectively. The Mortal Kombat gaming category saw Richmond Boampong – from Ghana grab the first place prize of N300,000, while Micah Dipsy and Abdalah Abubakar were rewarded with N200,000 and N100,000 as 2nd and 3rd place winners respectively.
Obinna Akpen, Nonso Anumbo and Bolarin Olawadamilola won prizes for their skills in the Call of Duty gaming category, which was described as the best first-person shooter video game.
Speaking on the gaming track, Managing Director Connect Marketing Services, Tunji Adeyinka, organizers of the conference disclosed that, the competition is a brilliant opportunity for young people to sharpen their gaming skills. “Gaming is on a growth trajectory and Nigerians need to plug into the play not just as consumers but also as game-makers”
Adeyinka also noted that the competition offers young people the desired digital skills, knowledge and industry connections they need to become the next generation of game makers. This year, we are proud to display games made by Nigerians that are available online.
(R-L) Winner of Call of Duty game, Obinna Akpen, FIFA 16 Soccer winner, Bamigbola Oluwadare and other winners at the Techplus 2016 gaming finale at Eko Hotel, in Lagos
Adeyinka further revealed that Techplus has come at the right time to tap into the potential that exists in technology for job creation. His words; “We see our platform as a catalyst which will bring together the entire ecosystem. When we started we were hoping to create a platform that would allow companies, individuals and businesses in the tech space to bring together customers, clients and for all players to showcase their products and services. Before now, we had lots of talk shops, but this event is meant to be a practical opportunity to talk about technology and feel the impact that technology has on different facets of life both from a business perspective and from a consumer perspective”.
The theme for this year’s event was ‘A Connected World’. This could not have come at a more auspicious time as Cisco has predicted there will be 20.8 billion connected devices by 2020. Techplus’ goal was to highlight the increasing connecting nature of the world and identify Nigeria’s role in this new global reality through a variety of ‘tracks’
Bamigbola Oluwadare, one of the winners commended organizers of Techplus 2016 for creating the platform for young tech enthusiasts and introducing the concept of the live gaming competition which served to showcase local talent in the gaming arena. He promised not just to remain a player but also to be a voice in the world of gaming.
Techplus is a gathering of everything technology, providing a robust tripartite experience through its conferences, exhibitions and gaming structures whilst serving as a platform for knowledge sharing and networking for the consumers and businesses.
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Aduragbemi Omiyale