Nigeria Expects 10,000-Plus at CANEX 2026 in Lagos, Oduwole Says
Over 10,000 delegates are expected in Lagos for the 2026 Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Weekend, the Federal Government has projected, with Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, stating that the country is on course to surpass attendance figures recorded at earlier editions.
Oduwole spoke at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a briefing on the arrangements for the gathering, which Lagos will host between November 5 and 8.
Hosting the event, she said, gives Nigeria a route to pull in investment, open up wider markets and transform its creative talent into enterprises that can last, intellectual property, exports and employment.
She pointed to the country's established capacities in music, film, fashion, literature, visual arts, gastronomy, sports and technology as evidence that Nigeria is well placed to stage the continental creative economy meeting.
"We're going to break every record of every CANEX to date," Oduwole said.
While more than 10,000 delegates are anticipated for CANEX 2026, the minister said Lagos is also projected to welcome in excess of 100,000 participants when the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) holds there in 2027.
Oduwole stated that the Federal Government is collaborating with all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, private-sector operators and Afreximbank so that the event yields concrete economic opportunities.
Each state, she explained, will be given a pavilion to present its creative industries and cultural offerings, while deal rooms will be available for companies and investors to strike commercial partnerships.
Creators, businesses, investors, financiers, policymakers, distributors and market-access partners drawn from across Africa and further afield are expected to converge for the event, she added.
The minister also noted that this will be the first occasion the event is staged in West Africa, calling it a chance to establish Nigeria as a key destination for African trade, investment and enterprise.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, said the Nigeria Police Force has been engaged at an early stage of the preparations so that participants flying in from various parts of the world can be adequately secured.
According to Disu, security is central to pulling off the event, especially given that international visitors will be arriving in Lagos.
He said police personnel and resources will be committed to protecting participants and to delivering what he described as standard policing for the duration of the event.
The Commissioner of Police and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, he said, will be assigned the responsibility of making sure security arrangements are sufficient.
"We have time to plan," the IGP said, adding that visitors would see "standard policing" and police officers ready to welcome them to Nigeria.
Disu also indicated that the police would request a pavilion at the event in order to showcase the role played by security agencies.
Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said his ministry is partnering with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and other agencies to mobilise international participation in CANEX.
Information about the event will be shared with diplomatic missions based in Nigeria and with Nigerian missions overseas, he said, as part of efforts to draw participation from Africa and other regions.
The ministry, he added, is also cooperating with immigration authorities so that participants' visa processing goes smoothly.
Arrangements are likewise being put in place for protocol and reception when participants arrive, as well as coordination at the venue to ensure movement runs smoothly, he said.
Enikanolaiye described CANEX as a chance for Nigeria to deploy its creative resources as an instrument of soft power and diplomacy.
Nigerian creative talents, he observed, have largely worked as individuals, and the event will give government the opportunity to organise the sector in support of the country's foreign-policy objectives and national interests.
CANEX 2026, the government has said, will feature engagements spanning music, film, fashion, gastronomy, literature, visual arts, sports and technology, alongside opportunities in investment, financing and market access.
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