KEY POINTS
- Nigeria expects more than 10,000 participants at the 2026 Creative Africa Nexus Weekend in Lagos.
- The Federal Government says the event will connect creative businesses with investors, financiers, distributors and international markets.
- All 36 states and the FCT are expected to showcase creative assets and investment opportunities at dedicated pavilions.
MAIN STORY
Nigeria is positioning the 2026 Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Weekend as a business platform for attracting investment and expanding the international market reach of the country’s creative industries.
The event, scheduled for Lagos from Nov. 5 to Nov. 8, is expected to draw more than 10,000 participants, according to Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Oduwole said the government wanted CANEX to move beyond showcasing African creativity to facilitating financing, commercial partnerships and access to new markets.
She said the event would bring Nigerian and African creative entrepreneurs into direct engagement with investors, financiers, distributors and international buyers.
“For the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all states of the Federation, CANEX is much more than a celebration of African creativity. It is a platform for trade, investment, enterprise and market access.” — Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The minister identified music, film, fashion, literature, visual arts, gastronomy, sports and technology among the areas through which Nigeria could expand its participation in the global creative economy.
She said the Federal Government was incorporating the creative industries into its wider trade and export strategy as part of its ambition to build a one trillion dollar economy.
According to Oduwole, the changing structure of global trade, with increasing value attached to services, technology, content, intellectual property and culture, creates an opportunity for Nigeria to derive greater economic value from its creative output.
“Nigeria is already a major source of African music, film, fashion and creative content. The opportunity before us is to capture more of the economic value generated by that creativity.” — Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The event will include dedicated pavilions for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, allowing them to present creative enterprises, assets and investment opportunities to participants.
Designated deal rooms will also be used for business meetings, financing discussions and potential commercial partnerships between investors and creative-sector operators.
Oduwole said the Federal Government was working with state governments, private-sector stakeholders and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to ensure the event generated concrete commercial opportunities.
The preparations involve several government institutions, including those responsible for foreign affairs, finance, customs, immigration, health, transportation and security.
Security preparations are also being integrated into the planning process. Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu said the Nigeria Police Force had been involved from the beginning to prepare for the expected influx of international delegates into Lagos.
He said security arrangements would cover participants, businesses and other stakeholders throughout the programme.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is similarly working to increase international participation. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, said diplomatic missions in Nigeria and Nigerian missions abroad would circulate information about the event.
He said the ministry was also working with immigration authorities to facilitate visa processing for foreign delegates.
Enikanolaiye described CANEX as an opportunity for Nigeria to use its creative industries as instruments of soft power and cultural diplomacy.
Oduwole also disclosed that Lagos would host the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in 2027, giving Nigeria two major continental trade and creative-economy platforms within successive years.
THE ISSUES
- CANEX is being positioned as a commercial platform rather than solely a cultural event. Its proposed deal rooms and investor engagements are intended to connect creative enterprises with capital, distribution networks and international markets.
- The participation of all 36 states and the FCT could widen the range of creative businesses and investment opportunities presented at the event, while giving subnational governments a platform to promote their creative sectors.
- The government is linking the event to a broader trade and export strategy, with the creative economy being treated as a source of services, intellectual property and exportable content rather than only cultural output.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“For the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all states of the Federation, CANEX is much more than a celebration of African creativity. It is a platform for trade, investment, enterprise and market access.” — Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
“Nigeria is already a major source of African music, film, fashion and creative content. The opportunity before us is to capture more of the economic value generated by that creativity.” — Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
“Today, our message is simple: we want to see partnerships formed, financing mobilised, intellectual property commercialised, businesses entering new markets and Nigerian creative enterprises scaling beyond our borders.” — Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
WHAT’S NEXT
Preparations will continue across federal and state institutions ahead of the Lagos event, with attention on international participation, security, immigration, transport and business engagements.
The programme is expected to bring together creative businesses, investors, financiers, distributors and government representatives from Nigeria and other African countries.
BOTTOM LINE
CANEX 2026 is being used by the Federal Government as a platform to connect Nigeria’s creative enterprises with capital and international markets, while positioning the sector within the country’s broader trade and export strategy.
 Weekend as a business platform for attracting investment ...){kind=link}