Lagos will host more than 10,000 creative professionals, investors and policymakers at the 2026 Creative Africa Nexus Weekend in November, as Nigeria seeks to turn its cultural influence into a stronger pipeline of jobs, exports and investment.
The four-day gathering, known as CANEX WKND 2026, will run from 5 to 8 November at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts within the National Theatre complex in Iganmu. It is organised by the African Export-Import Bank in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.
Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Dr Jumoke Oduwole said at a briefing in Abuja that the government expected attendance to exceed 10,000 and believed Lagos could surpass previous CANEX records. She described the event as a commercial platform through which Nigerian and African creative entrepreneurs can meet financiers, distributors and international buyers.
“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,” Oduwole said.
Her emphasis goes to the central challenge facing many creative businesses in Nigeria. The country already has global visibility in Afrobeats, Nollywood, fashion, literature and visual art, but talent and audience reach do not automatically produce sustainable companies. Access to patient finance, reliable distribution, intellectual-property protection, production infrastructure and cross-border markets remains uneven.
CANEX WKND is designed to address part of that gap by combining cultural showcases with dealmaking. Afreximbank’s programme includes a CANEX Finance Summit and Deal Room, where entrepreneurs and established creative businesses can present projects to investors and lenders. Masterclasses, exhibitions and business networking will sit alongside film, music, fashion, literature, visual arts, gastronomy and sports events.
Other scheduled elements include the CANEX Shorts Film Competition, Music Factory and Songwriting Camp, a fashion show and awards night, the Jollof Wars and junior chefs competitions, a mega concert and a legends football match.
The 2026 theme, “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World: From FESTAC ’77 to CANEX ’27”, deliberately connects the meeting with Nigeria’s history as a gathering point for African and diaspora culture. FESTAC ’77 brought artists and cultural figures from across Africa and the diaspora to Lagos nearly half a century ago. The new event places a greater focus on commercial networks, investment and the ability of creative enterprises to trade across borders.
Afreximbank said participants are expected from Africa, the Caribbean and the wider diaspora. Vincent Musumba, the bank’s communications and event manager, said hosting the event in Lagos was especially significant because of Nigeria’s influence across music, film, fashion, literature and other creative sectors.
That international mix could matter for Nigerian companies seeking to scale. Diaspora audiences have helped African music and film travel, while digital platforms have widened access to consumers. Yet many creators still struggle to retain value from their work or to move from individual success to businesses capable of employing teams, attracting investment and exporting consistently.
The involvement of the AfCFTA Secretariat also gives the gathering a continental trade dimension. The African Continental Free Trade Area is intended to reduce barriers within the continent, but services, licensing, payments and rights management can be difficult for small creative firms to navigate. Direct contact with regulators, financiers and buyers may help participants identify practical routes into new markets.
Oduwole said CANEX would 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.
The event is therefore more than a festival on Lagos’s crowded cultural calendar. Its value will ultimately be measured by what happens after the performances and panels: projects financed, contracts signed, rights protected, markets opened and sustainable jobs created.
For young Nigerians building careers in film, music, design, publishing, food and sport, that conversion from attention to income is the crucial test. Registration and programme information are available through the official CANEX WKND website, and prospective participants should review application and exhibition requirements ahead of the November gathering.
