Nigeria to break all CANEX records, win Jollof Rice War, says Oduwole

• IGP pledges standard policing, smiling officers

• Immigration sets up four teams for seamless visa processing

• Foreign Affairs to mobilise diplomatic missions

• Customs deploys senior officer to facilitate clearance of exhibition cargo

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The Federal Government has expressed confidence that Nigeria will break all previous records at the 2026 Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) Weekend, with the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, declaring that the country is also poised to win the popular Jollof Rice War.

Oduwole, who spoke on Tuesday during a briefing of State House correspondents on preparations for the event, said Nigeria’s economic size, creative talents and technological innovation would make the 5–8 November gathering in Lagos a landmark edition.

The briefing, held shortly after a meeting of the CANEX Steering Committee at the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, came as the Federal Government intensified preparations to attract investors, financiers, creative entrepreneurs and participants from across Africa and beyond.

The minister, however, declined to disclose specific financial and employment projections for the event, but expressed confidence that Nigeria would surpass the achievements of previous host countries.

“I’ll hold my numbers to my chest, but just watch this space. We’re going to break every record of every CANEX to date,” she said.

Oduwole, who highlighted Nigeria’s achievements in music, film, fashion, technology, literature and gastronomy, said the country had the creative capacity and economic potential to make the event a major success.

She particularly cited Nigeria’s culinary heritage, making a confident reference to the long-running rivalry over which West African country makes the best jollof rice.

“Whether from sports, food — Jollof Wars, there’s no way we’re not going to win; fashion across the board; literary arts, Nobel laureates. Nigeria has been a leader in this creative space,” she said.

Beyond the cultural rivalry, the minister said the Federal Government was determined to transform CANEX from a celebration of African creativity into a platform for securing investments, expanding exports and creating jobs.

She said the event was central to Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy, with the creative industries expected to play a significant role in diversifying the country’s sources of revenue.

“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.

According to Oduwole, Nigeria’s creative industries, particularly music, film, fashion, literature, visual arts, gastronomy, sports and technology, have the potential to generate greater economic returns if adequately connected to finance, investors, distribution networks and international markets.

She said the government was determined to ensure that the country’s creative talents translated into sustainable businesses, intellectual property, exports and employment opportunities.

“The opportunity before us is to capture more of the economic value generated by that creativity. That means connecting our creators and creative businesses to finance, investors, distribution, technology and international markets.

“CANEX must translate connections into transactions,” she said.

The minister disclosed that the government was already engaging creative capital providers internationally to attract financing for Nigerian creative enterprises, particularly Nollywood and other segments of the creative economy.

She said investment deal rooms would be established at the event to facilitate business engagements and partnerships between creators, investors, financiers and distributors.

Oduwole, who recently returned from the United States, said the government was working to ensure that CANEX delivered tangible economic benefits rather than merely providing a platform for cultural exhibitions.

She urged Nigerians to assess the potential of the event by examining the outcomes of previous editions hosted by Egypt, South Africa and other African countries.

The minister attributed the growing economic value of CANEX to the contributions of the African Development Bank, African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.

She said Nigeria’s selection as the next host had generated considerable enthusiasm, given its economic size and established reputation in the creative and technology sectors.

Oduwole also described the event as an opportunity to revive the legacy of the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77), noting that the National Theatre in Lagos, originally commissioned for the festival, had been revamped.

She said the venue would provide an appropriate setting for Nigeria to welcome Africa and the diaspora, almost five decades after the historic cultural festival.

As part of efforts to ensure nationwide participation, the minister disclosed that all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory would have pavilions to showcase their cultural heritage, creative enterprises and investment opportunities.

She said the participation of the states had received unanimous support from the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the National Economic Council, making CANEX a national intervention rather than an initiative limited to the Federal Government.

Oduwole added that Nigeria was also preparing to host the Intra-African Trade Fair in Lagos in 2027, with an estimated attendance of more than 100,000 participants, compared with the over 10,000 expected at CANEX this year.

She said the two events would provide opportunities to connect Nigerian businesses to continental markets and strengthen the country’s position as a destination for trade, investment and enterprise.

Oduwole urged Nigerians and international participants to attend the four-day event, stressing that the government’s ambition was to turn the gathering into lasting commercial opportunities.

“Come to Lagos from 5 to 8 November. Come ready to connect, to invest, to trade and to do business. Nigeria is ready to welcome Africa and the world,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has adopted a whole-of-government approach to the preparations, involving the Ministries of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy; Foreign Affairs; and Finance, as well as the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Central Bank of Nigeria and Lagos State Government.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said the ministry would leverage Nigeria’s diplomatic network to mobilise international participation, facilitate visa processes and coordinate protocol arrangements for the event.

He identified the dissemination of information through Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad, collaboration with immigration authorities and the coordination of arrivals and protocol as three key areas of the ministry’s involvement.

Enikanolaiye described CANEX as an opportunity to deploy Nigeria’s cultural and creative assets as instruments of soft power and diplomacy, noting that the country’s creative talents had largely operated independently.

“For us at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we see CANEX as a demonstration of Nigeria’s soft power, a critical element of diplomacy in this day and age,” he said.

He said the government’s involvement would help mobilise the resources of the creative sector to advance Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives and national interests.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, said the police would deploy dedicated personnel to ensure the safety of participants and international visitors, while the Immigration Service pledged to establish specialised teams to facilitate visa processing and entry procedures.

Also speaking, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, said the service had established four dedicated teams to facilitate visa processing and ensure a seamless arrival experience for international participants.

She said the teams would handle visa information and guidance, visa issuance, urgent immigration issues and airport protocol.

“Our guests’ very first contact in Nigeria will be with an immigration officer. That is not lost on us. So I can assure you, what we’re bringing to the table is extreme ‘hostmanship’,” Nandap said.

She explained that a dedicated team would assist visitors with visa applications, another would facilitate timely issuance, while an escalation team would address last-minute applications and other urgent immigration challenges.

A fourth team would be stationed at the airport to coordinate protocol and ensure smooth movement through border control.

Nandap said the service was prepared to demonstrate its capacity to provide efficient immigration services and a welcoming experience for visitors attending the event.

The representative of the Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Comptroller-General Nafiu Isiyaku, also announced arrangements to facilitate the temporary importation and clearance of exhibition materials.

The Lagos State Government, for its part, said it was putting healthcare, emergency response, traffic management and other infrastructure arrangements in place to accommodate the expected influx of visitors.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Arts and Culture, Moriam Ajaga, also called on Nigerian creatives and businesses to register and participate in the event, describing it as an opportunity to showcase the country’s cultural heritage and creative innovations.