CANEX 2026: Shettima urges African creatives to turn cultural influence into wealth
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged African governments and investors to turn the continent’s growing cultural influence into economic opportunities, saying creative talents must secure commercial deals rather than settle for recognition.
Shettima made the call on Thursday while declaring open the four-day Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) 2026 conference at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, in Lagos.
He said the Federal Government was committed to strengthening intellectual property protection, expanding access to financing for creative businesses and positioning Nigeria to benefit more from trade opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“Creativity is now a trade sector, and we intend to treat it as one,” the Vice-President said in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha.
Shettima drew a comparison between the event and the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), which celebrated African cultural identity at the same venue.
He said while the 1977 gathering focused on celebrating the continent’s cultural heritage, the current edition should prioritise turning that heritage into commercial value.
“In 1977, we came to celebrate our culture. In 2026, we come to capitalise it,” he said.
CANEX 2026, organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with the Nigerian government, the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, will run until November 8.
The conference brings together artists, investors, policymakers and industry operators from Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora, with discussions covering film, music, fashion, publishing, gastronomy and sports.
Shettima said Afreximbank had committed $2bn to financing Africa’s creative industries through 2027, adding that its 2024 CANEX gathering in Algiers attracted nearly 4,000 participants from 81 countries and facilitated deals worth more than $540m.
