What better time to be in Nigeria’s buzzing commercial capital than when Africa’s creative community has come together to celebrate culture, creativity, and everything in between!
Hello from Lagos, where the 2026 edition of CANEX WKND officially kicked off on Thursday, 5th November, bringing together creatives, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Diaspora.
Running until 8th November at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Cultural & Creative Arts in Lagos, this year’s theme is “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World”.
And truly, this theme captures the essence and spirit of what CANEX WKND is all about.
More than just a celebration of African Creativity
Now hold up, for anyone hearing about CANEX WKND for the first time, the Creative Africa Nexus is Afreximbank’s flagship programme for Africa’s creative and cultural industries.
Its ambition goes beyond giving African creatives a platform to showcase their talents and ideas. It’s about helping Africans and global African creatives move beyond visibility and talent by improving access to capital, skills, markets, commercial policymakers, and industry partners who can help them turn and build these ideas into commercially sustainable, export-ready creative enterprises.
Afreximbank committed $2bn towards financing Africa’s creative industries between 2024 and 2027. Proof of the growing importance of the creative sector within the continent’s economic goals and ambitions.
CANEX WKND is the programme’s annual flagship gathering, providing a meeting point for everyone involved in shaping Africa’s creative economy.
And while there is plenty to celebrate, serious business and deals are happening behind the scenes.
One Continent, numerous creative expressions
An exhilarating fact bout CANEX is how broadly it defines creativity.
From music and film to fashion, literature, visual arts/design, gastronomy, and sports. Seven core verticals, each with its own challenges, opportunities, and immense potential to reach global audiences.
The programme brings these industries to life through exhibitions, performances, masterclasses, competitions, workshops, and industry discussions.
Film enthusiasts can look forward to conversations around African storytelling, financing and getting locally produced content to international audiences. Music takes centre stage through initiatives such as the CANEX Music Factory, songwriting camps and live performances.
Fashion gets its moment through the CANEX Fashion Show, masterclasses and discussions around building profitable African brands. Literature and publishing are represented through the CANEX Book Factory, book fair and writers’ workshops.
And then there’s gastronomy! From the Junior Chefs Competition to the much-anticipated Africa Jollof Wars, food gets its own place in the conversation about African culture and commercial opportunities. I am more than ready to have some Jollof, pepe notwithstanding.
Sports also feature prominently, with discussions on athlete development and the business of sport culminating in a Legends Football Match on 8 November.
In other words, there is something for everyone!
The business of turning creativity into opportunity
Perhaps what makes this year’s CANEX WKND particularly interesting is the attention given to the business side of creativity.
For a long time, African music, fashion, film and art have attracted international attention. But visibility alone does not necessarily translate into financial success for the people creating the work.
Who owns the music? Who benefits when a film reaches international audiences? How do African fashion designers scale their brands beyond their home markets? And what does it take for a talented creative to attract investment and build a business that can stand the test of time?
These are some of the questions CANEX is putting on the table, and through its Deal Room, Creative Pitch Sessions, and Creative Economy Finance Summit, the gathering is creating opportunities for creative entrepreneurs to meet potential financiers and investors.
There are also conversations around intellectual property, technology, artificial intelligence, and market access, all of which are becoming increasingly important in the global creative economy.
Among the notable personalities participating are Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, Emmy Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba, filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele, actors Richard Mofe-Damijo and Thuso Mbedu, and former football stars Didier Drogba and Jay-Jay Okocha.
The entertainment programme also features performances and appearances by some of Africa’s celebrated music stars, including Davido, Fally Ipupa, Flavour, Libianca and Charlotte Dipanda.
Beyond the big names, there is also room for emerging talent through initiatives such as the CANEX CreaThon, which brings together creators, developers and innovators working in music, video and gaming. Delivered in partnership with Gebeya, the initiative includes mentorship, technical support and a US$50,000 prize pool.
It is an important reminder that building Africa’s creative future also means investing in the next generation.
So, what does the future look like?
Ultimately, CANEX WKND is about connecting the dots between African culture, creativity, and commerce.
It is about creating an environment where an African creative can do more than capture the world’s attention. They can protect their intellectual property, attract investment, build a sustainable enterprise, and take their work to international markets.
And Lagos provides an interesting setting for this conversation. A city known for its influence in music, film, fashion, entrepreneurship and digital culture, it is a fitting meeting point for a gathering of this nature.
As the four-day programme continues, one thing is clear: African creativity has plenty to offer the world. The bigger conversation is about ensuring that the people behind it have the resources, opportunities and ownership to benefit from what they create.
From Lagos to the world, the message is simple: our stories, our culture, our creativity. And the world is invited to experience them.
And if the energy here is anything to go by, the answer is: Things dey happen oo!
