CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos: Afreximbank's creative-economy weekend, 5–8 November at the Wole Soyinka Centre

CANEX WKND 2026, the creative-industries weekend run by Afreximbank, runs from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2026, and Voice of Nigeria reports it is coming to Nigeria for the first time. It takes over the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Iganmu, Lagos, and delegate registration is open on the official site and, the organisers say, free of charge.

What makes it different

Most festivals put creative people on a stage. This one, run by a trade bank, also sits them down with the people who fund things. At its heart are the CANEX Finance Summit and a Deal Room, where selected creative businesses meet Afreximbank, commercial banks, development lenders and investment funds. The 2024 edition, in Algiers, drew at least 4,000 participants from 81 countries and agreed deals worth more than $540 million, the News Agency of Nigeria reported. The bank has set aside $2 billion for Africa's creative sectors between 2024 and 2027.

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What's on across the four days

A day-by-day timetable has not been published yet, but the organisers have announced the main events:

• Fashion: a Fashion Show and Awards Night, live showcases, and the invitation-only Luxury Fashion Xchange, which pairs African designers with international buyers and stockists.
• Film and music: the CANEX Shorts film competition, and the Music Factory with its songwriting camp.
• Food: the Jollof Wars, a Junior Chefs Competition and pop-up stalls in the Ubuntu Food Village.
• Books: the CANEX Prize for Publishing, now open to Caribbean publishers too: $20,000 for the winner and $2,000 for each of four other finalists, presented in Lagos.
• After hours: the CANEX Mega Concert and a Legends Football Match.
• Business: an exhibition and marketplace where creative firms sell, meet buyers and find partners.

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A stage built for FESTAC

The venue is the old National Theatre, the landmark shaped like a military cap that Nigeria built for FESTAC '77, the great festival of Black and African arts. It was renamed after the Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka in 2024. The weekend's theme ends "From FESTAC '77 to CANEX'27", a nod to FESTAC's 50th anniversary next year, when Nigeria also hosts the Intra-African Trade Fair in November 2027.

Who should go, and how to register

It is aimed at designers, film-makers, musicians, writers, chefs and creative entrepreneurs, and at the investors, buyers, officials and press who want to meet them, from Africa, the Caribbean and the wider diaspora. Registration is a four-step form in English, French or Arabic, with categories including conference delegate, visitor and media; exhibitors sign up through a separate portal. The Deal Room's applications closed on 7 September.

• Visas: register first, and the invitation letter your visa application needs is sent automatically. Citizens of most West African countries, and of Cameroon and Chad, need no visa (the CANEX site lists them; check with the Nigeria Immigration Service before you travel). Everyone else should apply at least three weeks before travel.
• Flights: Ethiopian Airlines is the official airline (promo code CAN26), and Delta offers registered participants discounts with code NY522 for travel between 15 October and 24 November.
• Arrival: complete the Nigerian Health Declaration Form before you enter Nigeria (the CANEX site links to it).
• Hotels: partner hotels offer discounted rates through the CANEX WKND site.