The Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026 launched in Lagos, where African leaders urged enhanced financing, robust intellectual‑property safeguards, distribution channels and market access to keep a greater share of the revenue generated by the continent’s creative industries.
The Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026 convened in Lagos, rallying African leaders to champion increased financing, stronger intellectual‑property protection, streamlined distribution and broader market access so that Africa can retain more of the wealth created by its creative sectors.
Inaugurating the four‑day event on behalfvelle of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima stressed that Africa must transition from merely receiving global cultural acclaim to establishing commercially viable creative enterprises. “In 1977 we came to celebrate our culture. In 2026 we come to capitalise on it. We come to turn the world’s applause into contracts, its admiration into markets, and the talent of our young people into enduring wealth,” he declared.
He also underscored the need for improved intra‑African market access for creators, noting, “We cannot continue to celebrate African creativity while making it difficult for African creators to access African markets,” he said.
Afreximbank has pledged US$2 billion through 2027 to bolster Africa’s creative and cultural industries, augmenting previous funding efforts as demand in the sector continues to rise.
The 2024 edition of CANEX WKND in Algiers attracted participants from 81 countries and generated over US$540 million in trade and investment agreements. In Nigeria, more than US$600 million is being mobilised for digital and creative enterprises via the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme.
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, announced that proposed deals exceeding US$500 million are already under negotiation between Nigerian entrepreneurs, buyers and investors in deal rooms co‑hosted with Afreximbank during CANEX. “We promised to bring buyers and investors here. Today Nigerian creatives are negotiating with them in Lagos. Our ambition is a deal for every segment of the creative economy, from sports and gaming to creative technology and infrastructure, the arts and gastronomy,” Dr Oduwole said.
Nigeria has also implemented a suite of initiatives to enhance the commercial ecosystem for creative enterprises. These include the nation’s inaugural National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy, approved in 2025, and the Creative Sector Investment Playbook, launched in January 2026 to steer investment toward studios, content production, and distribution. Together with Kenya and South Africa, Nigeria co‑leads the African Continental Free Trade Area Protocol on Digital Trade.
Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr George Elombi, asserted that increased production financing alone would not suffice; Africa must also enhance ownership and value capture throughout the creative‑industry supply chain. He referenced United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimates, noting that Africa’s creative economy is valued at roughly US$60 billion—about 2 % of the global creative market. “Even if we channel these financing schemes into music and film productions, the value we ultimately retain will be limited. We therefore need to concentrate on building a robust creative ecosystem,” Dr Elombi added.
Dr Elombi highlighted distribution, branding, marketing platforms and intellectual‑property ownership as key areas where Africa must retain more value.
CANEX WKND 2026 gathers more than 15 000 participants, including government officials, investors, financial institutions, creators and businesses from Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora.
The event’s agenda features the CANEX Deal Room, the Creative Economy Finance Summit, the African Producer Accelerator, the CANEX Music Factory, the CANEX Book Factory, the CANEX CreaThon, and dedicated sector programmes covering film and television, music, fashion, sport, literature and publishing, gastronomy, visual arts and technology.
The African Export‑Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a pan‑African multilateral financial institution tasked with financing and promoting intra‑ and extra‑African trade. Over three decades, the Bank has employed innovative mechanisms to provide financing solutions that reshape Africa’s trade landscape, accelerate industrialisation and intra‑regional commerce, and spur broader economic growth across the continent.
As a staunch advocate of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank introduced the Pan‑African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which the African Union (AU) has endorsed as the foundational payment and settlement platform for executing the AfCFTA.