By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-10-01 15:36:42 | Updated at 2026-10-01 19:33:30
4 hours ago
NIGERIA · CULTURE
Key Facts
- —What CANEX WKND 2026, the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend: exhibitions, talks, competitions, a fashion show, a concert and a football match
- —When Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2026. Registration desk 08:00 to 17:00, sessions 09:00 to 17:00, Lagos time (GMT+1)
- —Where Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, National Theatre Complex, Iganmu, Lagos, Nigeria. The football match is at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan
- —Tickets Online registration form on wknd.canex.africa. The organiser has not published delegate fees or concert ticket terms
- —Good to know Registered participants receive a visa invitation letter. Ethiopian Airlines offers 15% off fares to Lagos with code CAN26
CANEX WKND 2026 turns the former National Theatre in Lagos into a four-day market for African film, music, fashion, books and food.
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Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, hosts CANEX WKND 2026 from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2026. The four-day creative industries fair is organised by Afreximbank, the African Export-Import Bank. It takes place at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, the former National Theatre in Iganmu. Registration is open on the official website, and the organiser has not published a registration fee.
A creative fair run by a trade bank
CANEX stands for Creative Africa Nexus. It is a programme of Afreximbank, a pan-African bank based in Cairo that finances trade across the continent.
The bank treats film, music, fashion and books as export industries, like coffee or copper. CANEX WKND is the yearly gathering where that idea becomes a marketplace.
The 2026 edition is hosted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Its other partners are the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, which runs the African free trade area.
Afreximbank announced the Lagos preparations on 29 September 2026. The bank expects creatives, investors, buyers and officials from Africa, the Caribbean and the wider diaspora.
From Algiers to Lagos
The second edition took place in Algiers, Algeria, in October 2024. Afreximbank reported close to 4,000 participants from 81 countries there.
The bank says more than US$540 million in deals were facilitated and agreed in Algiers. Those are agreements announced at the event, not money already paid out.
Afreximbank has also committed US$2 billion to Africa’s creative industries for 2024 to 2027. The Lagos edition sits inside that four-year plan.
The bank calls Lagos a test run for its Intra-African Trade Fair. Nigeria hosts that much larger biennial trade fair in November 2027.
A theatre built for FESTAC ’77
The venue has its own place in African cultural history. The National Theatre opened in 1976 for FESTAC ’77, a festival of Black and African arts.
FESTAC ran in Lagos from January to February 1977. It brought artists, writers and musicians from Africa and the diaspora to one city.
The 2026 theme links the two moments. It reads “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World: From FESTAC ’77 to CANEX’27”.
Nigeria plans to mark 50 years since FESTAC in 2027. The building itself is a round, low structure, often compared to a military cap.
Nigeria’s banks paid for a long renovation, led by the Central Bank of Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu reopened the theatre on 1 October 2025.
It now carries the name of Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.
What happens on each day
The official programme fills four days. The exhibition, a book fair, a visual arts show and a fashion installation run from 5 to 8 November.
Thursday 5 November brings masterclasses on finance, intellectual property and music business. The evening opening ceremony takes place in the theatre’s Main Bowl.
Friday 6 November opens with a summit on Global Africa’s creative economy. The CANEX Fashion Show and Awards Night starts at 19:00.
Saturday 7 November includes the Africa Jollof Wars, a cooking contest over the West African rice dish. Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon compete.
The CANEX WKND 2026 Concert also falls on Saturday. The organiser has not announced the performers, a start time or ticket terms.
Sunday 8 November offers cultural excursions around Lagos, film screenings and a Legends Football Match.
Football legends at Onikan
The football match celebrates Nigeria’s team of the mid-1990s. That generation won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996.
Former Super Eagles striker Daniel Amokachi was among the players at the launch. The Super Eagles is the name of Nigeria’s national team.
The match is at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, the former Onikan Stadium, on Lagos Island. It is a separate venue from the theatre.
Afreximbank organises it with TopTier Sports Management. Its founder, Chichi Nwoko, told reporters the event should also ask how athletes can build careers after playing.
Deals, prizes and young talent
Much of the weekend is business. In the CANEX Deal Room, creative companies present projects to financiers and investors.
Several competitions end in Lagos. The CANEX Shorts film competition screens its 30 selected short films and presents awards.
Young Nigerian cooks aged 16 to 21 compete in the Junior Chefs Competition, with the final on Friday. The CANEX Creative-Thon, a four-day AI creative sprint, offers a US$50,000 prize pool.
The Prize for Publishing in Africa is also awarded at the event. For a visitor, these sessions are a chance to meet people working across the continent’s creative trades.
Registration, visas and travel
Everyone registers through a form on the official site. Categories include conference delegate, visitor and press. The organiser has not published a fee.
Visitors who need a visa should register first. The organiser then sends an invitation letter, which the visa application requires.
Citizens of most West African countries, including Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, need no visa. The organiser advises applying at least three weeks before travel.
Ethiopian Airlines, the official airline, offers 15% off fares to Lagos with the code CAN26. Delta also lists discounts for registered participants.
Getting around Lagos in November
Lagos is a large coastal city with heavy road traffic. Allow extra time for every car journey, especially at morning and evening rush hours.
Iganmu is on the mainland, near the Lagos–Badagry Expressway. The Lagos Blue Line light rail has a National Theatre station between Marina and Mile 2.
The train is paid with a Cowry card, a rechargeable transport card. Ride-hailing apps and hotel drivers are common alternatives.
Early November is hot and humid, around 31 to 32 °C by day. The rains are easing, but a short shower is still possible.
Ordinary city precautions help: keep phones out of sight in crowds and use registered transport after dark. Nigeria hosts the larger Intra-African Trade Fair a year later, in November 2027.
More: Expats & Nomads guides, every day from The Rio Times.
FAQ
When and where is CANEX WKND 2026?
CANEX WKND 2026 runs from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria. The main venue is the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, the former National Theatre in Iganmu.
How much does it cost to attend CANEX WKND 2026?
Registration is through an online form on wknd.canex.africa. The organiser has not published a delegate fee or ticket terms for the concert.
Who has been announced for the CANEX WKND 2026 Concert?
No performers have been announced yet. The official programme places the concert on Saturday 7 November, without a start time.
Do I need a visa to attend CANEX WKND 2026 in Nigeria?
Most visitors from outside West Africa need a Nigerian visa. Register first, and the organiser sends the invitation letter the visa application requires.
Sources: CANEX WKND 2026 – official site (Afreximbank) · CANEX WKND 2026 – Visit and plan · CANEX WKND 2026 – Official programme (PDF) · Afreximbank via APO Group – Stage set for CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos · The Nation – Afreximbank to host CANEX WKND 2026 in Lagos · Premium Times – Amokachi, Adepoju lead legends as Afreximbank, TopTier unveil initiative · CANEX – CANEX WKND 2024 concludes in Algiers · ThisDay – Tinubu reopens National Arts Theatre
