Creative Industry
CANEX 2026 Will Create Investments, Jobs And Partnerships Beyond The Showcase – Musawa
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Government says the upcoming Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) 2026 will create tangible investments, jobs and business partnerships beyond showcasing talent.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by SA Media & Publicity to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Dr Nneka Ikem Anibeze said Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, stated this at a joint Ministerial briefing on Nigeria’s preparations to host the CANEX WKND, held at the ITF Skills House, Maitama.
Musawa described CANEX as a strategic economic platform for interconnectivity and growth, and the largest creative economy platform the Ministry will jointly host with other stakeholders to project Nigeria’s creative capacity to the world.
She said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, created the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy for the first time in Nigeria’s history because he recognised that the sector, which had grown organically on its own for years, needed deliberate government structure to unlock its full potential.
According to her, while Nigerian music, film, fashion and heritage have already established the country as a global creative powerhouse, the mandate of government is to provide the enabling environment that turns that talent into economic prosperity.
“This is a shared responsibility. It is not the responsibility of one ministry. We are working together with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and Afreximbank because we cannot deliver Mr. President’s vision of economic diversification alone,” she said.
The Minister said the choice of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts (National Theatre) as venue, almost 50 years after FESTAC ’77, is symbolic.
“While FESTAC put the Black community on the global map, CANEX will build on that legacy to reaffirm Nigeria as Africa’s cultural and creative capital. The summit will showcase not only Nigeria’s creative content but also the infrastructure and reforms being put in place to help the industry scale,” she said.
Musawa also paid tribute to Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, for his commitment and support for Africa’s creative economy.
In her remarks, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, said CANEX is a platform for trade, investment, enterprise and market access.
She said Nigeria is positioning its creative industries as part of its broader trade and export agenda, noting that as global trade shifts from physical goods to services, technology, content and IP, Nigeria must capture more economic value from its creative dominance.
“That means connecting our creators and creative businesses to finance, investors, distribution, technology and international markets. CANEX must translate connections into transactions,” she said.
“We want to see partnerships formed, financing mobilised, intellectual property commercialised, businesses entering new markets and Nigerian creative enterprises scaling beyond our borders. That is how we will measure the real impact of platforms such as CANEX,” Dr. Oduwole added.
She noted that delivering CANEX requires a whole-of-government approach involving Ministries of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Finance, Customs, Immigration, payments and financial services, as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
The Minister noted that CANEX is part of a bigger story about Nigeria’s role in African trade, ahead of the Intra-African Trade Fair which Lagos will host in 2027, describing Lagos as a meeting point for Africa and the global creative economy.
“So our invitation is clear: come to Lagos from 5–8 November. Come ready to connect, to invest, to trade and to do business. Nigeria is ready to welcome Africa and the world,” she said.
CANEX, an initiative supporting Africa’s creative industries, will be held from Nov 5-8, 2026 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, Lagos.
Creative Industry
CAFA Targets $500bn Fashion Economy At Canex Wknd 2026
Joel Ajayi
The Confederation of African Fashion (CAFA) will present its roadmap to grow Africa’s fashion economy from an estimated $30 billion to $500 billion at CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos.
Marking its first anniversary on November 5, CAFA will unveil a joint stand with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, formerly the National Arts Theatre, on November 5, 2026.
CAFA President, Aare (Prof.) Lai Labode, said the institution works with African governments to align sourcing, production, trade and intellectual property policies, ensuring African creativity generates greater value for African businesses and communities.
Nigeria became the first country to sign the African Fashion Industry Growth Charter on November 5, 2025, when the Honourable Minister Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa signed on behalf of the Federal Government.
Speaking ahead of the unveiling, Minister Musawa said: “Afroliganza seeks to build a structured, values-driven fashion economy rooted in African heritage, led by African institutions, and positioned for global impact.”
On employment potential, the minister emphasized that Investment in fashion will create millions of jobs, particularly for women and youth.
Registered in Rwanda, with an office in Kigali and a desk at the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, CAFA is also working with Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards African Union adoption of the Charter. Rwanda is progressing towards becoming its second participating country and the first in East Africa.
Its first year saw fifty nations gather at the Egbaliganza-Lisabi Festival in Abeokuta and a signed MoU with Türkiye’s ASRIAD.
CAFA’s programmes promote processing African raw materials into finished apparel locally. ‘Own What We Create’ addresses intellectual property protection, while the CAFA Certified Seal and CAFA Heritage Mark support standards and authenticity. African Global Fashion Houses are currently being established across international markets.
The African Global Fashion Games will debut in Nigeria in 2028, bringing designers together under national colours. Held every three years, the Games will alternate between African and international hosts, combining competition with investor meetings, deal signings and policy discussions. Its Instant Craft event gives competing nations identical materials and a fixed clock, placing skill at the centre of the contest.
CAFA is inviting creatives, fashion designers, artisans, diplomats, economists, investors and policymakers to its CANEX stand. Visitors can explore the roadmap, ask questions and identify opportunities to contribute through design, manufacturing, investment, research, trade and international partnerships. The stand will be open daily from November 5 to 8.
CAFA calls on the African Union to adopt the Charter, and governments to sign the Games Register and form national teams.
“Fashion has always told the world who Africa is. Now Africa will decide what fashion pays,” Aare Prof. Lai Labode said.
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