Preparations are underway for Lagos to host the 2026 Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), one of Africa’s major gatherings for the creative and cultural industries, from November 5 to 8.
The four-day event is being hosted by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
A statement issued on Tuesday by Vincent Musumba, Communications and Events Manager at Afreximbank, said the event would bring together creatives, investors, policymakers, financiers, buyers and other industry leaders.
Musumba said the event would take place at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, National Theatre Complex, Iganmu, Lagos, with participants expected from across Africa, the Caribbean and the wider diaspora.
Held under the theme, “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World: From FESTAC ’77 to CANEX’27,” CANEX WKND 2026 is designed to support the development, commercialisation and expansion of Africa’s creative and cultural industries.
According to Musumba, the programme will focus on improving access to finance, markets, skills, partnerships and investment opportunities across the creative economy.
The event will feature activities spanning film, music, fashion, literature, visual arts, gastronomy and sports, alongside business and investment discussions, exhibitions, showcases, masterclasses and networking sessions.
Key components of the programme include the CANEX Finance Summit and Deal Room, CANEX Shorts Film Competition, Jollof Wars Competition, CANEX Music Factory and Songwriting Camp.
Others are the Junior Chefs Competition, Fashion Show and Awards Night, CANEX Mega Concert and Legends Football Match.
Musumba said the CANEX Deal Room would provide creative entrepreneurs and businesses with opportunities to present their projects to financiers and investors.
He said the initiative was expected to support commercially viable creative enterprises and contribute to the development of sustainable value chains across Africa’s creative economy.
He added that the Lagos edition would build on the legacy of FESTAC ’77, which brought together artists, writers, musicians and cultural leaders from across Africa and the diaspora.
“Nigeria is preparing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of FESTAC in 2027, providing an opportunity to link the cultural legacy with the continued development of contemporary creative industries,” he said.
Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice-President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, said the event would help transform Africa’s creative talent into sustainable commercial opportunities.
Awani said bringing creators together with investors, financiers, buyers and policymakers would strengthen the ecosystem needed for African creative businesses to grow, access new markets and retain greater value from their work.
She said hosting CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos was significant given Nigeria’s influence in music, film, fashion, literature and other creative sectors.
Also speaking, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said Nigeria’s hosting of the event reinforced the country’s position as one of Africa’s leading creative and commercial centres.
Oduwole said the creative industries remained an important source of enterprise, employment and exports, stressing that stronger links between talent, investment and markets were essential to unlocking the sector’s economic potential.
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She said the event would provide a platform for African and diaspora creatives, investors and businesses to build partnerships, expand market access and attract investment across the creative value chain.
Musumba said CANEX WKND 2026 would build on the momentum of previous editions, noting that the 2024 edition in Algiers, Algeria, facilitated deals worth more than $540 million and attracted over 4,000 participants from 81 countries.
He added that Afreximbank had committed $2 billion to support Africa’s creative industries between 2024 and 2027, reflecting its efforts to strengthen the sector’s contribution to trade, enterprise development and employment.
According to him, the Lagos edition would also serve as a test run for the fifth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2027), which Nigeria is scheduled to host in November 2027.
He said IATF2027 was expected to provide a broader continental marketplace for African businesses, including creative enterprises, to expand commercial partnerships and access new markets.
