Fidelity Bank Partners CANEX WKND 2026 to Boost Nigeria’s Creative Economy

Fidelity Bank Plc has strengthened its commitment to Nigeria’s creative economy through its sponsorship of the 2026 edition of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX WKND) as an Official Trade Partner, in a move aimed at expanding business opportunities, improving access to finance and connecting local creative entrepreneurs with international markets.

The four-day event, scheduled to hold from November 5 to 8, 2026, at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, National Theatre Complex, Lagos, will bring together creative entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders to explore opportunities within Africa’s rapidly expanding creative industries.

The 2026 edition will be held under the theme, “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World”, reflecting the growing importance of Africa’s cultural assets and creative talent in driving economic growth, international trade and global competitiveness.

As part of its participation, Fidelity Bank will showcase its Fidelity Creativerse platform under the theme, “Where Creativity Meets Business Opportunity”. The platform will provide an opportunity for visitors to interact with the bank’s representatives, explore financial and payment solutions, and identify business support services relevant to the growth of creative enterprises.

Creative entrepreneurs, business owners and other industry stakeholders are expected to visit the bank’s stand to explore potential partnerships, establish business connections and access financial solutions designed to support enterprise development.

Speaking on the partnership, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the bank’s participation reflected its recognition of the strategic importance of the creative economy to Nigeria’s economic development and efforts to deepen international trade.

She noted that Africa’s creative industries offered significant opportunities for enterprise development, employment generation, innovation and trade, but stressed that unlocking their full potential required a supportive ecosystem capable of developing talent and connecting creative businesses with the resources needed to grow.

According to her, building a sustainable creative economy requires more than individual talent, as entrepreneurs must also have access to finance, appropriate business structures, strategic partnerships and wider markets to transform their ideas into commercially viable enterprises.

“Africa’s creative economy represents an important opportunity for enterprise, job creation, innovation and trade. Unlocking this potential requires a strong ecosystem that develops talent, supports viable business structures and connects entrepreneurs to finance, partnerships and markets,” she said.

Onyeali-Ikpe added that financial institutions had an important responsibility to facilitate the development of such an ecosystem by providing the necessary financial and business support for creative entrepreneurs.

“At Fidelity Bank, we understand the role financial institutions must play in building this ecosystem. Our participation at CANEX WKND reflects our commitment to helping creative entrepreneurs transform their talents into sustainable businesses that can compete successfully in local and international markets,” she explained.

Beyond its exhibition presence, the bank’s chief executive will participate in a high-level session titled, “Building the Capital Stack for Africa’s Creative Economy”.

The session will examine the critical requirements for developing bankable creative enterprises, including skills development, infrastructure, access to markets, institutional support and financing.

Her contribution is expected to highlight the importance of developing appropriate financing structures and strengthening the business foundations of creative enterprises to enable them to attract investment, expand operations and compete beyond their domestic markets.

Fidelity Bank will also host a workshop titled, “Fueling Visions, Creating Impact”, scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.

The workshop will bring together professionals across the banking, filmmaking, photography, fashion, content creation and music industries to examine how creative talents can be developed into sustainable commercial ventures.

Discussions will focus on the intersection of creativity and entrepreneurship, particularly the need for practitioners to acquire business management skills, understand market opportunities and develop revenue-generating models capable of sustaining their creative pursuits.

The bank’s involvement in CANEX WKND builds on its existing initiatives to support small businesses and entrepreneurs operating within Nigeria’s creative and cultural industries.

A major component of this strategy is the Fidelity Nigeria International Trade and Creative Connect (FNITCC), the bank’s global trade platform, through which it connects Nigerian businesses and creative entrepreneurs with international buyers, investors and strategic partners.

The initiative is designed to strengthen cross-border business relationships and create opportunities for Nigerian enterprises to access international markets, attract investment and expand their commercial reach.

Similarly, through its Creativerse platform and Fidelity SME Hub, the bank provides practical training and capacity-building opportunities for individuals seeking to develop professional skills across different creative disciplines.

The programmes cover areas including cinematography, mobile video editing, fashion styling, beauty, voice-over work and public speaking, among other fields.

By combining skills development with access to financial and business support, Fidelity Bank aims to help creative practitioners move beyond talent development towards establishing structured enterprises capable of generating sustainable income and creating employment.

The partnership comes against the backdrop of growing recognition of the creative economy as an important driver of economic diversification, particularly for African countries seeking to expand non-oil revenue sources, encourage youth employment and strengthen their participation in international trade.

Nigeria’s entertainment, fashion, film, music and digital content industries have continued to attract attention internationally, with increasing opportunities for local practitioners to commercialise their intellectual property and reach audiences beyond the continent.

However, challenges relating to financing, infrastructure, business formalisation, distribution and access to international markets remain significant obstacles to the full development of the sector.

CANEX WKND, an initiative of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), provides a platform for addressing some of these challenges by bringing together creative professionals, investors, buyers, policymakers and industry leaders to facilitate collaboration and commercial opportunities.

The 2026 edition will feature exhibitions, panel discussions, live performances, deal rooms, masterclasses and business networking sessions, providing participants with opportunities to showcase their products, exchange ideas, develop partnerships and explore investment prospects.

Fidelity Bank’s participation as an Official Trade Partner is therefore expected to strengthen the connection between financial services and Africa’s creative industries, particularly by encouraging the development of commercially sustainable enterprises and facilitating access to domestic and international business opportunities.

Interested participants can register to attend CANEX WKND 2026 through the event’s official registration platform.