Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has called for a renewed African Renaissance driven by young creatives, stronger collaboration and greater control of the continent’s creative resources.
Soyinka made the call during a panel session titled “One Market, One Culture: Building the Creative Economy of Global Africa” at the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026, held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Lagos.
He urged African creatives to look inward, harness their potential and reclaim the economic value of their works, rather than depend solely on external markets and support.
Soyinka said the changing global environment presented an opportunity for Africans to reassess their position and challenge negative perceptions about the continent.
He described the emerging opportunity as a renewed Renaissance, driven by the creativity and innovation of the younger generation.
He also advocated regular engagements involving policymakers, creatives and other stakeholders to foster understanding, reduce suspicion and promote productive partnerships.
Also speaking, Nathalie Akon, Division Director for West Africa and Gulf of Guinea at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), said changing perceptions about the creative industry had opened new opportunities for financing and investment.
Akon said IFC had channelled about $1.6 billion into the creative industry, adding that the sector needed better visibility, capacity building, market access and tailored financial instruments.
She said financial institutions must understand the long-term value of intellectual property and the potential of creative works to generate revenue beyond their initial production.
According to her, artists and creative enterprises must also be equipped to position their businesses and attract investment.
Also, Minister Sandra Umutoni of Rwanda said the country was promoting creative businesses through simplified business registration, improved mobility and efforts to remove barriers to trade across Africa.
She stressed the need for stronger intellectual property protection, noting that African creativity was sometimes registered and commercialised elsewhere, depriving creators of its economic benefits.
Umutoni called for greater understanding of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and policies that would facilitate the movement of people, goods, ideas and capital across the continent.
Ginger Moxey, Minister for Grand Bahama, said Africa and the Caribbean shared cultural ties and needed stronger economic collaboration to maximise their creative potential.
Moxey said an Afro-Caribbean marketplace and logistics centre was being developed in Grand Bahama in partnership with Afreximbank to promote African goods and facilitate trade across the region.
She said the initiative would provide opportunities for African countries to showcase their products and connect with Caribbean markets.
Moxey urged African and Caribbean countries to collaborate in film production, music, arts and cultural exchange, stressing that the shared heritage could generate economic prosperity.
She said the global demand for African culture presented an opportunity to empower creatives and ensure they benefited financially from their works.
The CANEX WKND 2026 brings together creatives, investors, policymakers and industry stakeholders to explore opportunities for collaboration, investment and growth in Africa’s creative economy.
