The 2026 edition of Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND opened in Lagos on Thursday, bringing together creatives, investors, policymakers, business leaders and cultural figures from Africa and the diaspora for four days of industry discussions, exhibitions, performances and business engagements.
The event, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria and organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) through its Creative Africa Nexus programme, runs from November 5 to 8 under the theme, “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World.”
The programme covers film and television, music, fashion, sports, literature and publishing, gastronomy and visual arts, with discussions focusing on financing, intellectual property, technology, skills development, investment and market access.
A major feature of the event is the CANEX Deal Room, which is expected to connect creative entrepreneurs with investors and financiers to explore business partnerships and funding opportunities across different sectors.
Afreximbank’s support for the creative and cultural industries has expanded over the years. The bank initially committed US$500 million to the sector in 2020 before increasing the amount to US$1 billion and subsequently expanding its financing commitment to US$2 billion.
The funding initiative is aimed at helping African creatives and businesses develop sustainable enterprises, strengthen ownership of intellectual property and retain more economic value from the continent’s cultural and creative output.
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The opening ceremony is expected to feature addresses by ministers responsible for culture and creative industries from 11 African countries, Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr George Elombi; Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Wamkele Mene; and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among other dignitaries.
Among the personalities expected at the event are Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka; Emmy Award-winning actor Uzo Aduba; filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele; actors Richard Mofe-Damijo and Thuso Mbedu; and former professional footballers Didier Drogba and Austin Jay-Jay Okocha.
Musicians expected to feature in the programme include Davido, Fally Ipupa, Flavour, Libianca and Charlotte Dipanda.
Beyond the entertainment activities, the programme will feature discussions on the commercial development of Africa’s creative industries.
On November 6, a high-level session titled “One Market, One Culture: Building the Creative Economy of Global Africa” will examine how the growing international influence of African culture can translate into stronger businesses, exports and investment.
Participants are expected to include Soyinka, culture and arts ministers from Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and Rwanda, representatives of the International Finance Corporation and Afreximbank.
The Creative Economy Finance Summit, organised by Afreximbank in partnership with the Creative Economy Practice at Co-Creation Hub, will also bring together financial institutions and investors to discuss financing structures and ways to reduce investment risks in the creative sector.
Other activities include discussions led by CANEX Creations Inc. on investment in African intellectual property, as well as the CANEX Deal Room and Creative Pitch Sessions, which will connect entrepreneurs with potential investors across film, television, music, fashion, sports, publishing, gastronomy, visual arts and creative infrastructure.
Technology will also feature prominently, with sessions examining artificial intelligence, authorship, intellectual property rights and the use of digital tools in creative production and business development.
The CANEX CreaThon, organised with pan-African technology company Gebeya, will bring together creatives, developers and innovators to develop projects in music, video and gaming. The initiative will provide mentorship, computing resources and access to African-developed digital tools, with a US$50,000 prize pool.
Film and television sessions will examine storytelling, distribution and financing for African productions seeking wider audiences.
The programme includes “Stories Without Borders: Africa, Hollywood & the Global Diaspora,” featuring former Afreximbank President Professor Benedict Oramah, and “Made in Africa, Watched in Africa,” which will examine research into film distribution, audiences and financing in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.
Sports will form another part of the event, with discussions on athlete development, management and commercial opportunities in the industry.
Drogba and Okocha are scheduled to participate in a session titled “When Giants Speak: The Business of the Game,” while a Legends Football Match is scheduled to hold at Onikan Stadium on November 8.
Fashion activities will include masterclasses on building profitable African brands, textile value chains, market access and intellectual property, alongside the CANEX Fashion Show and Awards Night.
The gastronomy programme will feature the CANEX Junior Chefs Competition, Africa Jollof Wars Competition and live demonstrations examining opportunities for African food, ingredients and culinary traditions in domestic and international markets.
Publishing and literature activities will include the CANEX Book Factory, Book Fair, writers’ workshops, manuscript pitching sessions and the CANEX Prize for Publishing.
The visual arts programme will feature exhibitions, engagements with collectors and sessions on opportunities and challenges facing artists in Africa’s art market.
A major concert featuring musicians from Africa and the diaspora is scheduled for November 7.
The event will conclude on November 8 with cultural excursions, gastronomy activities, the CANEX Music Factory Songwriting Camp and the Legends Football Match.
