Lagos: Ahead of CANEX WKND 2026, the CANEX Book Factory, a publishing incubator by Afreximbank’s Creative African Nexus (CANEX) Programme, has announced a three-member jury for the 2026 CANEX Prize for Publishing. The CANEX Weekend 2026 takes place from Nov. 5 to Nov. 8 in Lagos, Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Vincent Musumba, Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations) at Afreximbank, stated that renowned Nigerian author and academic, Prof. Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, will chair the jury. He will be joined by South African literary scholar, Professor Polo Moji, and Kenyan poet-broadcaster, Khainga O’Okwemba. The panel will review all eligible entries and select the winning publisher from a competitive long list.
Raji-Oyelade’s chairmanship brings decades of literary expertise to the competition, enhancing discussions on the role of publishers of Global African ideas in reclaiming narratives, ultimately boosting Africa’s valuation and accelerating sustainable development across the dias
pora and beyond. Commenting on his role, Raji-Oyelade expressed it as an honor to chair the jury and to engage with the breadth and quality of publishing from Africa and its diaspora.
The 2026 edition of the CANEX Prize marks a significant development, reflecting expanded eligibility that now includes publishers from Africa’s diaspora, specifically from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states. The jury will assess eligible submissions and announce a long list of ten publishers in September, followed by a shortlist of five finalists in October. The winning publisher will receive US$20,000, while each of the four finalists will take home US$2,000. The 2026 programme will culminate in an award ceremony during the CANEX WKND showcase in Lagos, Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that, recognizing the creative economy as a key driver for development and job creation, Afreximbank developed the CANEX programme to facilitate the growth of creative and cultural industries in Africa and the diaspora.
The initiative provides a range of financing and non-financing instruments aimed at supporting Africa’s production, trade, and investment in the creative sector, with strategic objectives including increasing Africa’s share of global cultural trade flows through trade and investment promotion activities.
About the jury members, Raji-Oyelade is a professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with several poetry collections and leadership roles in literary organizations. Moji is an Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, known for her work on Afro-French narratives and African literary cities. O’Okwemba is a Kenyan poet and broadcaster, producing and presenting The Books Café on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.