CANEX WKND 2026 to kick off in Lagos on 5 Nov with an expanded creative industry programme

Running until 8 November, the event will cover sectors including music, fashion, film, literature, sport, technology and the wider creative industries. Its programme will explore business development, investment, intellectual property, international markets and the infrastructure needed to support the growth of African creative businesses.

The opening day will feature a series of masterclasses and sessions, including Building Your Brand as an Independent Artist, Podcasting for Success, Fashion Masterclass: Building Profitable Fashion Brands and Building Sustainable Business Models in the Performing Arts.

The fashion masterclass will bring together industry professionals including Means Amina, founder and creative director of Nalebe Group; Azinge Ifeoma, CEO and co-founder of Majen Technologies; fashion designer Melisa Poulton; and Abderrahmane Trabsini, founder of Daily Paper. Other speakers include representatives from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. Rukky Ladoja, co-founder and creative director of Dye Lab, will moderate the discussion.

Music-related activities will include the first day of the CANEX Music Business Lab, focusing on music creation, alongside a masterclass on building a brand as an independent artist. Other sessions will address music publishing, intellectual property rights and the commercial opportunities available to creative professionals.

The programme will also feature DICE 5.0 (Digital Innovation and Creative Excellence), an ecosystem mixer curated by Beyond Limits. The session will bring together participants from the creative, technology and business sectors to examine how infrastructure and strategic capital can support the expansion of Africa’s creative economy. Discussions will focus on investment, business models and opportunities for collaboration.

On 6 November, the summit will open with discussions under the theme One Market, One Culture: Building the Creative Economy of Global Africa. The programme will also include an author conversation with Tola Akerele, who will discuss her Orishirishi Cookbook, and sessions examining the export of Nollywood productions to international markets.

A major highlight will be the CANEX WKND Concert on 7 November, featuring Nigerian singer Davido, Congolese artist Fally Ipupa, Flavour, Cali-Ber Tha Grime, Sabrina Francis and Nigerian DJ duo Wanni X Handi. The concert will bring together performers from Africa and the Caribbean for an evening of live music in Lagos.

CANEX WKND 2026 will also introduce the Lagos BioShield public health initiative. Implemented by the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the programme is designed to support the health and safety of visitors and residents during major gatherings. It will provide access to healthcare and facilitate the early detection and response to potential public health concerns.

The four-day programme forms part of Afreximbank’s Creative Africa Nexus initiative, which seeks to connect African creative businesses with investment, commercial partners and international markets.