The city of Lagos, Nigeria, is gearing up to host the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND 2026), a four-day event that will bring together creators, professionals, investors, policymakers, financial institutions, buyers, and sector leaders from across Africa, the Caribbean, and the African diaspora. The event, organized by the African Import-Export Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the African Union Commission (AUC), and the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aims to provide a platform for African creative talents to access financing, markets, partnerships, and business opportunities.
CANEX WKND 2026 will take place at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, within the National Theatre complex in Iganmu, Lagos. The event's theme, "One people, united by culture, creating for the world: from FESTAC '77 to CANEX'27," reflects the legacy of the 1977 Festival of African Arts and Culture (FESTAC '77) and the future of Africa's creative industries. The program will feature a range of sectors, including film, music, fashion, literature, visual arts, cuisine, and sports, with a focus on improving access to financing, markets, skills, partnerships, and investment opportunities.
The event will include several highlights, such as the CANEX Finance Summit and Deal Room, the CANEX Shorts Film Competition, the Jollof Wars Competition, the CANEX Music Factory Songwriting Camp, the Junior Chefs Competition, a fashion show and awards ceremony, the CANEX Mega Concert, and a Legends Football Match. The CANEX Deal Room will be a key component of the business program, allowing entrepreneurs and creative sector businesses to present their projects to funders and investors.
According to Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Afreximbank, CANEX WKND is an essential platform for transforming Africa's creative potential into sustainable business opportunities. By bringing creators together with investors, financiers, buyers, and policymakers, the event aims to strengthen the ecosystem necessary for the growth of African creative businesses, improve access to new markets, and retain a greater share of the value generated by their work.
The choice of Lagos as the host city is significant, given Nigeria's influence in sectors such as music, film, fashion, and literature. The event is expected to build on the legacy of FESTAC '77 and support the development of Nigeria's creative industries, which are a significant source of entrepreneurship, employment, and export earnings. The event will also serve as a precursor to the fifth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2027), which will take place in Nigeria in November 2027.
The previous edition of CANEX WKND, held in Algiers, Algeria, facilitated over $540 million in transactions and attracted nearly 4,000 participants from 81 countries. Afreximbank has committed to mobilizing $2 billion between 2024 and 2027 to support Africa's creative industries, demonstrating its commitment to strengthening the sector's contribution to trade, entrepreneurship, and employment across the continent.
Key points
- CANEX WKND 2026 will provide a platform for African creative talents to access financing, markets, partnerships, and business opportunities.
- The event aims to strengthen the ecosystem necessary for the growth of African creative businesses and improve access to new markets.
- Afreximbank has committed to mobilizing $2 billion to support Africa's creative industries between 2024 and 2027.
