Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole.
Lagos state had activated its disease surveillance and emergency-response mechanisms ahead of the event.
The Federal Government has positioned Nigeria’s hosting of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Weekend 2026 as a major platform for transforming the country’s creative economy into a stronger engine of trade, investment, exports and job creation.
Briefing State House Correspondents on preparations, Tuesday, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the November 5-8 event in Lagos would go beyond celebrating African creativity by connecting creators and creative enterprises with investors, financiers, technology providers, distributors and international markets.
Oduwole, speaking at the State House, Abuja, said Nigeria’s strength in music, film, fashion, literature, visual arts, gastronomy, sports and other creative fields presented an opportunity to capture greater economic value from the country’s talent and contribute to the Federal Government’s broader ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
“For the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all states of the Federation, CANEX is much more than a celebration of African creativity. It is a platform for trade, investment, enterprise and market access,” 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.”
The minister said the global economy was increasingly creating value through services, technology, content, intellectual property and culture, stressing that Nigeria must position its creative industries to compete more effectively in that space.
“Nigeria is already a major source of African music, film, fashion and creative content. The opportunity before us is to capture more of the economic value generated by that creativity,” she said.
According to her, achieving this would require stronger connections between creators and the financial system, investors, distributors, technology companies and international markets.
She said CANEX had therefore been designed as a meeting point for the various components of the creative economy, rather than simply an exhibition or cultural showcase.
The four-day event is expected to feature programmes spanning music, film, fashion, gastronomy, literature, visual arts, sports and technology, alongside investment, financing, enterprise and market-access engagements.
Oduwole said the scale of CANEX had necessitated a whole-of-government approach, given that the creative economy cuts across several ministries, agencies and levels of government.
“It is literally like hosting the Olympics or the World Cup. The creative economy does not sit within one ministry or one institution. For creators and creative businesses to compete globally, the entire ecosystem must work,” she said.
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, as well as institutions responsible for foreign affairs, finance, customs, immigration, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Theatre and the Lagos State Government.
Security, health, transportation, immigration and hospitality agencies are also involved in the preparations.
Oduwole said the participation of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the National Economic Council and the 36 states would give the event a broad national character.
She disclosed that each state would have a pavilion at CANEX, alongside private-sector exhibitors, creating an opportunity to showcase products, enterprises, culture and investment opportunities from across the country.
“We want creators, investors, businesses, young people and partners from across Nigeria to participate and take advantage of the opportunities that CANEX presents,” she said.
Lagos State, which is hosting the event, has meanwhile activated measures to manage the expected influx of about 10,000 participants from Nigeria, Africa and other parts of the world.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Tudioni Bandu, said the state was determined to deploy the necessary resources and agencies to ensure a seamless event while showcasing Lagos’ cultural and creative strengths.
Bandu said infrastructure and the environment around the venue were being upgraded to facilitate access and movement.
“Lagos is not only the Centre of Excellence; it is a state that weaves and showcases all the cultural values that Nigeria is noted for,” he said.
He said the state had activated relevant ministries, departments and agencies to ensure that visitors could access and leave the venue without unnecessary difficulties.
On public health, Dr Olumide Shojiri, who represented the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the state had activated its disease surveillance and emergency-response mechanisms ahead of the event.
Shojiri said Lagos’ experience managing the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19 had strengthened the state’s capacity to respond to public-health emergencies.
He said the State Health Information Platform (SHIP), in collaboration with relevant immigration authorities, would be deployed to facilitate information gathering and monitoring of visitors.
The system, he said, would also help authorities track accommodation arrangements and support rapid response in the event of a health emergency.
Medical facilities around the venue and accommodation areas would be equipped for emergency response, while additional personnel would be deployed and trained ahead of the event.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) would also deploy ambulances to strategic locations for evacuation and transfer of patients to designated hospitals.
Shojiri said first-aid stations would be established at the venue, while contingency plans had been developed for mass-casualty incidents and emergency evacuation.
The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation is also preparing traffic-management measures to minimise disruption caused by the expected concentration of visitors around the venue.
A ministry representative said traffic advisories would be issued ahead of the event, with diversions introduced at strategic points and alternative routes provided for motorists.
He said traffic planners had studied the venue and surrounding road network to ensure that the arrangements would cater for both CANEX participants and regular residents.
The official said Lagos had extensive experience managing large crowds and heavy traffic, particularly during the festive season.
Information platforms would also be used to provide motorists and residents with updates on alternative routes and movement schedules.
Officials involved in the preparations also urged Nigerian creative enterprises to use CANEX to showcase their products and build connections with international markets.
They noted that Nigeria had consistently maintained a strong presence at CANEX and urged creative businesses, entrepreneurs and practitioners to register, take exhibition stands and use the platform to promote Nigerian culture, innovation and creative products.
The event will also coincide with the 50th anniversary of the construction of the National Theatre, which was built for FESTAC ’77.
Officials said the anniversary would provide an opportunity to celebrate the landmark structure and link CANEX 2026 to Nigeria’s preparations for the 50th anniversary of FESTAC ’77, to be marked during the 2027 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Lagos.
Oduwole said CANEX should also be viewed as part of Nigeria’s wider strategy to position the country as a major destination for African trade, investment and enterprise.
She cited Lagos’ planned hosting of the IATF in 2027 as another opportunity to connect Nigerian businesses with markets across Africa.
“These platforms give us an important opportunity to showcase what Nigeria produces, connect Nigerian businesses to African markets and demonstrate the scale of opportunities available in our economy,” she said.
The minister invited African and international businesses, investors and creative-industry stakeholders to attend the Lagos event.
“Our invitation today is clear: come to Lagos from November 5 to 8. Come ready to connect, to invest, to trade and to do business. Nigeria is ready to welcome Africa and the world,” she said.
