CANEX WKND 2026 Takes Over Lagos Tonight with Davido, Fally Ipupa, Flavour
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The 2026 edition of Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), which opened on Thursday at the Professor Wole Soyinka Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, continues this evening with a major concert.
Some of Africa's biggest music stars will headline the night, among them Nigeria's Davido, Congolese sensation Fally Ipupa, Flavour, Cali-Ber Tha Grime, Sabrina Francis and the Nigerian DJ duo Wanni X Handi.
Performers from Africa and the Caribbean will share the stage for an evening of live music, rhythm and cultural celebration.
Themed "One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World", the four-day event has breathed new life into the once moribund Arts Theatre.
It has gathered leading voices from film, music, fashion, sport, publishing, gastronomy and business to advance trade, investment and commercial opportunities across Africa's creative economy.
Day one featured a series of masterclasses and sessions, including Building Your Brand as an Independent Artist, Podcasting for Success, Fashion Masterclass: Building Profitable Fashion Brands, and Building Sustainable Business Models in the Performing Arts.
The opening was attended by Vice-President Kassim Shettima; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr George Elombi; Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; and the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Wamkele Mene.
Other dignitaries present included Nigeria's Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hon Hannatu Musa Musawa; Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank; Hon Ginger Moxey, Minister for Grand Bahama; Emmy Award-winning actor Uzo Aduba; filmmaker Funke Akindele; and actors Richard Mofe-Damijo and Thuso Mbedu.
Declaring the programme open, Shettima said the world would eventually hear about the can-do spirit of African women.
He commended Afreximbank for its commitment of $2 billion to Africa's creative industries by 2027, noting that the sector is not merely about entertainment but also serious economic infrastructure.
Shettima also took the audience down memory lane, recalling that almost 50 years ago the same Arts Theatre hosted the second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, FESTAC '77, where the Black World declared through music, dance, literature and art that "our culture was not just a footnote to history, but the very core within it.
"In 1977, we came to celebrate our culture. In 2024, we are here to capitalize it," he said.
He urged Africans to take pride in who they are without asking for anything in return.
