THE Federal Government says the upcoming Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) 2026 will create tangible investments, jobs and business partnerships beyond showcasing talent.
The Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, disclosed 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.