The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has quadrupled its financing commitment to Africa’s creative and cultural industries to US$2 billion, up from its preliminary US$500 million pledge, because the financial institution seeks to increase funding and strengthen the business potential of the continent’s creative financial system.
The commitment was introduced as Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026 opened in Lagos on November 5, bringing collectively buyers, policymakers, creatives and enterprise leaders from Africa and the diaspora.
According to an announcement revealed on the financial institution’s web site on Friday, the four-day occasion is hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria and organised by Afreximbank by way of its Creative Africa Nexus programme.
The 2026 version runs from November 5 to 8 underneath the theme, “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World.”
Afreximbank expands creative industries financing
Afreximbank initially dedicated US$500 million to Africa’s creative and cultural industries in 2020 earlier than doubling the financing commitment to US$1 billion.
- The newest enlargement raises the commitment to US$2 billion, reflecting the financial institution’s ambition to help the event of commercially viable creative companies throughout the continent.
- The financing initiative is designed to assist African creators and companies scale their operations, strengthen possession of mental property and retain a bigger share of the financial worth generated by African cultural merchandise.
The programme will cowl a number of segments of the creative financial system, together with movie and tv, music, style, sport, literature and publishing, gastronomy and visible arts.
Financing, funding and know-how take centre stage
A significant characteristic of CANEX WKND 2026 would be the Creative Economy Finance Summit, organised by Afreximbank in partnership with the Creative Economy Practice at Co-Creation Hub.
The summit will deliver collectively monetary establishments and buyers to look at how creative-economy transactions will be structured, financed and de-risked.
- CANEX Creations Inc. can even lead discussions on unlocking funding in African mental property, whereas the CANEX Deal Room and Creative Pitch Sessions will join creative entrepreneurs with potential financiers and buyers.
- On November 6, a high-level dialog titled “One Market, One Culture: Building the Creative Economy of Global Africa” will look at how the worldwide attraction of African tradition can translate into stronger companies, exports and funding.
The session will characteristic Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, ministers accountable for tradition and the humanities from Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and Rwanda, representatives of the International Finance Corporation and Afreximbank.
Technology can even characteristic prominently, with discussions inspecting synthetic intelligence, authorship, mental property rights and the altering economics of creative manufacturing.
The CANEX CreaThon, organised with pan-African know-how firm Gebeya, will deliver collectively creators, builders and innovators to develop initiatives in music, video and gaming. Participants will obtain mentorship, computing sources and entry to African-built digital instruments, alongside a US$50,000 prize pool.
Film, sports activities and style characteristic in programme
Film and tv periods will look at the business infrastructure required to increase African content material into worldwide markets.
- These embrace “Stories Without Borders: Africa, Hollywood & the Global Diaspora”, that includes former Afreximbank President Professor Benedict Oramah, and “Made in Africa, Watched in Africa”, which can look at analysis on movie distribution, audiences and financing throughout Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.
- Sport will kind one other main a part of the programme, with discussions overlaying athlete improvement, administration and commercialisation.
Former skilled footballers Didier Drogba and Jay-Jay Okocha are scheduled to take part in a session titled “When Giants Speak: The Business of the Game”. The programme can even characteristic a Legends Football Match at Onikan Stadium on November 8.
Fashion actions will embrace masterclasses on constructing worthwhile African manufacturers, growing textile worth chains, enhancing market entry and defending mental property, alongside the CANEX Fashion Show and Awards Night.
Soyinka, Drogba, Davido amongst anticipated members
The opening ceremony is predicted to characteristic addresses from ministers accountable for tradition and creative industries throughout 11 African nations.
Other anticipated audio system embrace Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr George Elombi; Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olajumoke Oduwole; Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Wamkele Mene; and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The occasion can even appeal to outstanding personalities from the creative business, together with Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, Emmy Award-winning actor Uzo Aduba, filmmaker and actor Funke Akindele, and actors Richard Mofe-Damijo and Thuso Mbedu.
Afreximbank stories US$813.5 million nine-month internet earnings
The expanded financing commitment comes as Afreximbank continues to report progress in its monetary efficiency.
The financial institution recorded internet earnings of US$813.5 million for the 9 months ended September 30, 2026, representing a 24% enhance in contrast with the corresponding interval, supported by stronger internet curiosity earnings.
Nairametrics had earlier reported that Afreximbank’s nine-month 2026 revenue elevated by 24% as internet curiosity earnings strengthened.
