Africa’s creative economy is receiving renewed attention as investors, policymakers, business executives and cultural icons converge in Lagos for the 2026 edition of Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND, with discussions focused on unlocking financing, expanding market access and turning the continent’s creative talents into sustainable businesses.
The four-day event, which opened yesterday, November 5, is hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria and organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) through its Creative Africa Nexus programme. It will run until November 8 under the theme, “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World.”
The gathering brings together participants from across Africa and the diaspora, with activities covering film and television, music, fashion, sports, literature and publishing, gastronomy and visual arts.
Beyond celebrating African culture and creativity, the programme is designed to address some of the major challenges facing the continent’s creative industries, particularly access to finance, intellectual property protection, technology, skills development, investment and international market opportunities.
Through platforms such as the CANEX Deal Room and Creative Pitch Sessions, entrepreneurs and creative businesses will have opportunities to connect with investors and financial institutions, develop partnerships and attract funding for commercially viable projects.
The initiative builds on Afreximbank’s commitment to supporting Africa’s cultural and creative industries, which began in 2020 and has since expanded to $2 billion in available financing.
The funding is intended to help African creators and businesses develop scalable enterprises, strengthen ownership of intellectual property and ensure that a greater share of the economic value generated by the continent’s creative industries remains within Africa.
The opening ceremony is expected to attract prominent government officials and international stakeholders, including ministers responsible for culture and creative industries from 11 African countries.
Other expected dignitaries include the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr George Elombi; Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olajumoke Omoniyi Oduwole; Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene; and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The event has also attracted an impressive lineup of personalities from the arts, entertainment and sporting industries.
Among the notable participants are Nobel Laureate and playwright Professor Wole Soyinka, Emmy Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba, filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele, actors Richard Mofe-Damijo and Thuso Mbedu, as well as former professional footballers Didier Drogba and Jay-Jay Okocha.
Music stars Davido, Fally Ipupa, Flavour, Libianca and Charlotte Dipanda are also scheduled to feature in performances and entertainment activities throughout the event.
A major highlight on November 6 will be a high-level discussion titled “One Market, One Culture: Building the Creative Economy of Global Africa,” which will examine how the growing international appeal of African culture can translate into stronger businesses, exports and investment opportunities.
The conversation will feature Soyinka, culture and arts ministers from Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and Rwanda, representatives of the International Finance Corporation and Afreximbank officials.
Financing challenges within the creative sector will also take centre stage at the Creative Economy Finance Summit, organised by Afreximbank in partnership with the Creative Economy Practice at Co-Creation Hub.
The summit is expected to bring together financial institutions and investors to examine ways of structuring creative-economy transactions, improving access to capital and reducing investment risks in the sector.
Similarly, CANEX Creations Inc. will lead discussions on unlocking investment opportunities in African intellectual property, while technology-focused sessions will explore the impact of artificial intelligence, authorship rights, intellectual property and digital tools on the development of globally competitive creative products.
Technology and innovation will receive further attention through the CANEX CreaThon, organised in partnership with pan-African technology company Gebeya.
The initiative will bring together creators, developers and innovators to develop projects across music, video and gaming, with participants gaining access to digital tools, mentorship and computing resources. A total prize pool of $50,000 will also be available.
In the film and television sector, discussions will focus on African storytelling and the commercial structures required to distribute local productions to international audiences.
Among the sessions are “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 on film distribution, audiences and financing across Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.
Sports will also feature prominently, with conversations focusing on athlete development, management and the commercial potential of the industry.
Drogba and Okocha are expected to participate in a session titled “When Giants Speak: The Business of the Game,” while a Legends Football Match is scheduled to take place at Onikan Stadium on November 8.
In fashion, the programme will feature masterclasses on building profitable African brands, strengthening textile value chains, improving access to international markets and protecting intellectual property. The activities will also include the CANEX Fashion Show and Awards Night.
The gastronomy segment will showcase Africa’s culinary heritage through the CANEX Junior Chefs Competition, Africa Jollof Wars Competition and live cooking demonstrations, highlighting opportunities to transform indigenous food, ingredients and culinary traditions into commercially viable products for local and international markets.
Publishing and literature will feature the CANEX Book Factory, Book Fair, writers’ workshops, manuscript pitching sessions and the CANEX Prize for Publishing, while the visual arts programme will provide opportunities for exhibitions, collector engagement and practical sessions for artists.
Entertainment will reach another high point on November 7 with a major concert featuring performers from across Africa and the diaspora.
The final day, November 8, will feature cultural excursions, gastronomy activities, the CANEX Music Factory Songwriting Camp and the Legends Football Match.
With its combination of investment discussions, business engagements, exhibitions, performances and capacity-building activities, CANEX WKND 2026 is positioned as a major platform for strengthening commercial opportunities within Africa’s creative industries and expanding the global reach of the continent’s cultural products.