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By Faheem Lawal
Afreximbank’s Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Kanayo Awani, has said the bank expects at least $1 billion in capital to be raised from prospective investors by the time the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX WKND 2026) ends on Sunday.
Awani spoke to journalists on Friday on the sidelines of the CANEX Summit at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (National Theatre), Lagos.
She said the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) facilitated about $540 million in trade and investment deals at the 2024 edition in Algiers, Algeria, which was then regarded as a remarkable feat. She added that she was confident Lagos would surpass that record.
“In Algiers in 2024, we got deals close to about $540 million. The expectations here are high. It’s expected that deals would be done, and that’s why we have deal rooms. On Thursday, we signed two cooperative agreements of about $100 million.
“This is Lagos and this is Nigeria. There is no reason why we shouldn’t expect more than $1 billion. The only thing that I can assure you is that Afreximbank is here to support. We are here to promote, we are here to facilitate and we are here to finance Nigeria and Africa’s creative economy,” she said.
CANEX WKND 2026, described as arguably Africa’s largest platform for the creative sector, is an initiative of Afreximbank. It is being organised with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
According to analysts, the event sits at the intersection of creativity, enterprise, investment and economic development.
An official of the organisers said the programme would give policymakers and investors a platform to discuss the future of Africa’s creative economy through the Deal Room, Finance Summit, masterclasses and business-to-business meetings in the coming days.
“CANEX is not merely about showcasing Africa’s creative talents. It is about transforming African creativity into intellectual property, businesses, employment, investments and global economic influence,” the official said.
From available information, a record 17,000 participants have registered for the event, which features live performances, concerts, film screenings, competitions and industry engagements.
