Àkànní, a young warrior in training, and a team of unlikely-heroes-turned-friends set out to uncover a conspiracy that threatens their entire solar system—and challenges everything Àkànní’s grown up believing. An adventure-packed African space opera perfect for fans of Star Wars and Iwájú on Disney+!

ÀKÀNNÍ
created by Jessica Tagbajumi
illustrated by Jason Lamy, Obaseun Ogunkeye & Etubi Onuchyo
Kugali Ink/Disney, Fall 2025
(via Writers House)

All her life, Àkànní has dreamed of being an onija—brave in the face of danger, strong in the face of opposition, and honourable in the face of injustice. And as a student at the prestigious Onija Institute, she’s on her way to becoming part of the elite force that defends her solar system.

But when a surprise attack decimates her home planet and the government refuses to respond, Àkànní no longer knows who to trust. She rushes home to Asa to search for survivors—and there meets a misfit group of rebels seeking answers.

When they discover evidence that the attack on Asa was just the beginning, it’s up to Àkànní and her new friends to open the eyes of those in power to the real threat of war.

Author: Jessica Tagbajumi

For Jessica Tagbajumi, writing was an imaginative expression—a creative escape from the chaos around her as a teenager. In 2015, Jessica started her blog to practice her writing, but she would not post any of her stories until 2017, when she realized that there was nothing to be ashamed of—that her writing was enough for her. In July 2019, she published her first novel, Wings of the Night Sky, an African fantasy novel for young adults, showing them they are bigger than their fears. That was just the start for Jessica. She has published novellas, anthologies, and comics. Jessica is enthusiastic about writing more novellas and collaborating with more writers. She is not afraid of expressing her imagination on paper. The characters and stories in her head always come to life in a way that has you awed by the myriad of possibilities. Read more on her website: jessicatagbajumi.com.

Illustrator: Jason Lamy, colors by Obaseun ‘godofiron’ Ogunkeye & Etubi Onucheyo 

Jason Lamy (penciller, inker) is a Zimbabwean-born UK artist. Having grown up in Zimbabwe, Jason discovered Japanese manga and anime and immediately fell in love. Ever since then, Jason has worked tirelessly to realize his dream of becoming an artist, and now his work speaks for itself. Over the course of his time with Kugali he has learned to incorporate various African art styles into his work, and works tirelessly to ensure that every visual representation of African culture within his work is as accurate and as well-informed as it can be. He is the chief designer and illustrator at Kugali who has worked as the inker and colorist for the Nommo Award-Nominated graphic novel Nani, as well as Kokou and Murenga.

Obaseun ‘godofiron’ Ogunkeye (colorist) is a British-Nigerian who has been a professional illustrator for over a decade. He has a great love and passion for animation, videogames, books and comics, finding joy in creating art that might inspire other people in the way he himself has been inspired by the creatives whose works he was lucky enough to watch, play, and read during his childhood. This love eventually drove Ogunkeye to further hone his craft as a self-taught visual artist, exploring the mediums of animation, tabletop games and graphic novels. His experiences have allowed him to apply unique perspectives and dimensions to the creative fields he currently works in.

Etubi Onucheyo (colorist) is a visual artist, a product of Nsukka Art School. He has practiced professionally for a decade through digital and traditional paintings (acrylic on canvas). His portfolio dips into both the entertainment industry and surrealist figurative painting.

About Kugali: With authenticity and creativity at its heart, Kugali is an African-owned and operated storytelling collective spearheading Africa’s modern emergence into the AAA media landscape. Founded in 2017 by Tolu Olowofoyeku, Olufikayo Adeola and Hamid Ibrahim with the purpose of taking African stories to the world, Kugali Media has paved the way for a generation of new African storytellers to find their voices in graphic novels. Their most notable achievements include record-breaking crowdfunding campaigns, a slew of award-winning graphic novels and their Disney+ series in collaboration with Disney Animation, Iwájú. You can read more about them on their website: https://kugali.com/.