Stage set for Afreximbank’s CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos to power Africa’s creative economy
Lagos, Nigeria, 29 September 2026
With less than two months to go, preparations are in top gear for Lagos, Nigeria to host Africa’s largest gathering of creative and cultural industries — Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND 2026), from 5 to 8 November 2026.
CANEX WKND 2026 is being hosted by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in partnership with the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and will bring together creatives, investors, policymakers, financiers, buyers and industry leaders to connect talent with finance, markets, partnerships and commercial opportunities.
The four-day event will be held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, National Theatre Complex, Iganmu, Lagos, and will attract participants 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 will provide a platform to support the development, commercialisation and expansion of Africa’s creative and cultural industries, with a focus on improving access to finance, markets, skills, partnerships and investment opportunities.
The programme will feature activities across film, music, fashion, literature, visual arts, gastronomy and sport, combining business and investment discussions with showcases, exhibitions, masterclasses and networking opportunities.
Key programme components will include the CANEX Finance Summit and Deal Room, CANEX Shorts Film Competition, Jollof Wars Competition, CANEX Music Factory Songwriting Camp, Junior Chefs Competition, Fashion Show and Awards Night, CANEX Mega Concert and Legends Football Match.
At the heart of the business programme, the CANEX Deal Room will provide creative entrepreneurs and businesses the opportunity to present projects to financiers and investors, helping strengthen commercially viable creative enterprises and developing sustainable value chains across Africa’s creative economy. Commenting on the preparations for CANEX WKND 2026, Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank, said:
“CANEX WKND provides an important platform for converting Africa’s creative talent into sustainable commercial opportunities. By bringing creators together with investors, financiers, buyers and policymakers, we are helping to strengthen the ecosystem required for African creative businesses to grow, access new markets and retain greater value from their work. Hosting CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos is particularly significant given Nigeria’s influence across music, film, fashion, literature and other creative sectors. We look forward to bringing together participants from across Global Africa to deepen collaboration, mobilise investment and support the continued growth of the creative economy.”
Nigeria’s hosting of CANEX WKND 2026 reflects the country’s longstanding contribution to Africa’s cultural and creative industries and its growing role as a hub for creative enterprise.
Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Republic of Nigeria, said:
“Hosting CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos reinforces Nigeria’s position as one of Africa’s leading creative and commercial centres. Our creative industries are an important source of enterprise, employment and exports, and strengthening the connections between talent, investment and markets is critical to unlocking their full economic potential. CANEX provides an important platform to bring African and diaspora creatives, investors and businesses together in Nigeria, while creating opportunities for stronger partnerships, greater market access and increased investment across the creative value chain. We look forward to welcoming Global Africa to Lagos and showcasing the depth and diversity of Nigeria’s creative economy.”
The Lagos edition will also 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 connect this cultural legacy with the continued development of contemporary creative industries.
CANEX WKND 2026 will build on the momentum generated by previous editions. At CANEX WKND 2024 in Algiers, Algeria, more than US$540 million in deals were facilitated and agreed, with close to 4,000 participants from 81 countries attending the event.
Afreximbank has also committed US$2 billion to support Africa’s creative industries between 2024 and 2027, reflecting the Bank’s commitment to strengthening the sector’s contribution to trade, enterprise development and employment across the continent.
The Lagos edition will serve as a test run for the fifth edition of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2027), which Nigeria will host in November 2027. IATF2027 is expected to provide a broader continental marketplace for African businesses, including creative enterprises, to expand commercial partnerships and access new markets.
Registrations are open – https://wknd.canex.africa/
