LAGOS, Nigeria — The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is targeting at least $1 billion in capital commitments from prospective investors at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend 2026 in Lagos, as it seeks to deepen investment in Africa’s creative economy.
Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development at the bank, made the disclosure to journalists on Friday, November 6, 2026, on the sidelines of the Creative Africa Nexus Summit at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, in Lagos.
Awani said she expected the Lagos edition to exceed the investment deals recorded at the previous event in Algiers, Algeria. In 2024, the bank facilitated about $540 million in trade and investment transactions there. She said expectations were high for Lagos, and that the event’s deal rooms were designed to help close transactions.
The bank had already signed two cooperative agreements worth about $100 million on Thursday, and expects further commitments before the four-day event concludes on Sunday. The event began on Thursday.
Awani argued that the size of Nigeria’s market and the opportunities in its creative industry justify an even higher target. She said the bank would continue to promote, facilitate and finance the creative economies of Nigeria and the wider continent.
The Creative Africa Nexus is an African export-import bank initiative to promote investment, trade and commercial opportunities across the continent’s creative and cultural industries. The event is organised in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the African Union Commission and the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The platform gives African creative businesses opportunities to explore international markets, attract investors and form commercial partnerships. It also helps artists and content creators commercialise their intellectual property, showcase their work and connect with buyers and distributors.
The programme includes exhibitions, creative writing workshops, literary activities and culinary showcases, as well as activities across music, film, fashion, literature, spoken-word poetry and sports. Its main features include the Creative Africa Nexus Summit, a marketplace, book fairs and business-to-business sessions that connect creative entrepreneurs with investors and industry stakeholders.
The investment drive follows stronger financial results at the bank. The African Export-Import Bank reported that its net income rose 24% to $813.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, from $654.3 million a year earlier. Gross income increased 11% to $2.7 billion, and net interest income rose 17.45% to $1.49 billion from $1.27 billion. Management said the bank’s financial performance had exceeded its expectations for the current financial year.
