LAGOS, Nigeria, November 5, 2026 – African creatives, investors, policymakers and cultural industry leaders have gathered in Lagos, Nigeria, for the 2026 edition of Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND, a four-day event aimed at expanding business opportunities, investment and trade across the continent’s creative industries.
Running from November 5 to 8 under the theme “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World,” the gathering brings together participants from across Africa, the Caribbean and the global African diaspora for discussions, exhibitions, performances, networking and business engagements.
Hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria and organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) through its Creative Africa Nexus programme, the event is taking place at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Cultural and Creative Arts in Lagos.
The programme covers film and television, music, fashion, sport, literature, publishing, gastronomy and visual arts, with particular attention to financing, intellectual property rights, technology, skills development, investment and access to international markets.
CANEX WKND is designed to connect creative talent with commercial opportunities through platforms such as the CANEX Deal Room, where entrepreneurs can present projects to potential financiers and investors.
The initiative comes as Afreximbank expands its financial support for Africa’s cultural and creative industries. The bank initially committed US$500 million to the sector in 2020, subsequently doubled the amount before increasing its financing commitment to US$2 billion for the 2024 to 2027 period.
The funding is intended to help African creative businesses develop sustainable and scalable operations, strengthen ownership of intellectual property and retain a greater share of the economic value generated by African cultural products.
The opening programme features government representatives and senior officials from across the continent, including Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr George Elombi, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr Olajumoke Omoniyi Oduwole, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary-General Wamkele Mene and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Other participants include ministers responsible for culture and creative industries from 11 African countries.
Among the prominent personalities expected at the gathering are Nobel Laureate and playwright 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 Jay-Jay Okocha.
The entertainment programme also features performances and appearances by African music stars, including Davido, Fally Ipupa, Flavour, Libianca and Charlotte Dipanda.
Building a stronger African creative market
A central discussion scheduled for November 6, titled “One Market, One Culture: Building the Creative Economy of Global Africa,” will explore how the international popularity of African culture can translate into stronger businesses, increased exports and greater investment.
The conversation will bring together Professor Soyinka, culture and arts ministers from Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and Rwanda, representatives of the International Finance Corporation and Afreximbank officials.
Financing will also take centre stage through the Creative Economy Finance Summit, presented by Afreximbank in partnership with the Creative Economy Practice at Co-Creation Hub.
The summit will bring together financial institutions and investors to examine how creative industry projects can attract funding, structure commercial transactions and reduce investment risks.
CANEX Creations Inc. will lead discussions on unlocking investment in African intellectual property, while the CANEX Deal Room and Creative Pitch Sessions will give entrepreneurs opportunities to present investment-ready projects across film, television, music, fashion, sport, publishing, gastronomy, visual arts and creative infrastructure.
Technology is another major feature of this year’s programme, with sessions examining artificial intelligence, authorship, intellectual property protection and the changing economics of creative production.
The discussions will consider how digital technologies can transform creative businesses and enable African creators to develop products capable of competing in international markets.
The CANEX CreaThon, organised in partnership with pan-African technology company Gebeya, will bring together creators, developers and innovators to work on projects in music, video and gaming.
Participants will have access to African-built digital tools, mentorship and computing resources, with a US$50,000 prize pool available for the competition.
Film, sport and fashion take centre stage
Film and television discussions will examine the business structures required to distribute African productions to wider audiences.
One of the sessions, “Stories Without Borders: Africa, Hollywood & the Global Diaspora,” will feature former Afreximbank President Professor Benedict Oramah.
Another discussion, “Made in Africa, Watched in Africa,” will examine research into film distribution, audience behaviour and financing across Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.
Sport will also feature prominently, with discussions covering athlete development, sports management, commercialisation and the relationship between sport and the wider creative economy.
Football legends Drogba and Okocha are scheduled to participate in a session titled “When Giants Speak: The Business of the Game.”
The sporting programme will conclude with the CANEX Legends Football Match at Onikan Stadium on November 8, bringing together former football stars in a celebration of African sporting excellence.
Fashion activities will include masterclasses examining how African designers can build profitable brands, strengthen textile value chains, improve access to international markets and protect their intellectual property.
The programme will also feature the CANEX Fashion Show and Awards Night, alongside the Luxury Fashion Xchange, which will provide an exhibition platform for leading African fashion and accessory brands seeking international buyers and industry partnerships.
African food, literature and visual arts
Gastronomy will form another important part of the gathering, with the CANEX Junior Chefs Competition, Africa Jollof Wars Competition and live culinary demonstrations.
The activities will explore how African ingredients, traditional dishes and culinary heritage can be developed into commercially viable products for domestic, continental and international markets.
Literature and publishing will be represented through the CANEX Book Factory, Book Fair, writers’ workshops, manuscript pitching sessions and the CANEX Prize for Publishing.
Visual arts activities will include curated exhibitions, engagement with collectors and practical sessions designed to help artists navigate Africa’s expanding art market.
The programme also provides opportunities for smaller creative businesses, established brands, associations and participating countries to exhibit their products and services through the CANEX WKND Exhibition and Market.
African payment infrastructure supports creative trade
Afreximbank’s Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) is also playing a role in the event, providing payment infrastructure intended to make cross-border transactions between African businesses easier.
Developed by Afreximbank in partnership with the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, PAPSS enables payments across African currencies and is designed to support faster and more secure intra-African trade.
At CANEX WKND, the system is being presented as a mechanism through which creative enterprises can transact with buyers, distributors and business partners across the continent.
The event’s organisers also point to the platform’s growing international reach. The previous CANEX WKND gathering in Algiers, Algeria, facilitated US$540 million in deals and attracted participants from 81 countries, with more than 4,000 creatives, buyers, investors and policymakers in attendance.
The 2026 edition is expected to build on that momentum by bringing together nine creative sectors over four days of industry discussions, exhibitions, commercial engagements and cultural activities.
Concert and cultural activities to close the gathering
A major concert featuring artists from Africa and the diaspora is scheduled for November 7, providing a platform for musical performances alongside the event’s business programme.
The final day, November 8, will include cultural excursions, gastronomy activities, the CANEX Music Factory Songwriting Camp and the Legends Football Game.
The Music Factory will also provide a live recording and collaborative songwriting environment for participating musicians.
Beyond the main programme, the fifth edition of Digital Innovation and Creative Excellence (DICE 5.0), curated by Beyond Limits, will bring together participants from the creative, technology and business sectors.
Under the theme “Igniting African Creativity through Infrastructure and Strategic Capital,” DICE 5.0 will examine how investment in infrastructure, strategic financing and collaboration can support the growth of African creative enterprises.
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