The Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), a major meeting of actors from cultural and creative industries in Africa, held at Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire, Abidjan-Cocody, from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 November 2022, truly lived up to expectations. Françoise Remarck, Minister of Culture and Francophonie, Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Afreximbank, and Kaladji Fadiga, Director General of External Trade, took stock of the three days of interaction between professionals from the sector, at the Media Centre on Sunday, 27 November.
There was great enthusiasm at the event, which brought together about 2000 people, 200 participants, and 50 exhibitors. According to Kanayo Awani of the financial institution belonging to African States, over 412 million dollars was made during the 3-day event. She expressed satisfaction over the fact that they were able to achieve the set goals.
The Honourable Minister, Françoise Remarck, also welcomed the hosting of this major event in Côte d’Ivoire, while commending the commitment of Afreximbank to promote this sector which had previously been overlooked. She said that the Institution had launched a movement and hoped that other financial institutions would follow in its footsteps. In her opinion, Afreximbank encourages us to meet international standards. The Bank has made huge investments in the sector and is charting the way forward. When we speak to the stakeholders, they deplore difficulties concerning access to financing. She added that it was essential to find a way to support them, and that Afreximbank is doing so in a remarkable way. However, this is not always the case. She mentioned that in the African continent, they would finance various sectors, including agro-industry, etc.
Concerning government commitment, she reviewed all the efforts made in the culturel industries sector. In the 2021-2025 National Development Plan (PND), the cultural sector is a priority area. The sector should be financed in all its uniqueness. The State will play its part by structuring, organising, and collecting data, since data collection is one of the issues. The Minister further added that there was also a need for the stakeholders to organise themselves.
Furthermore, the Executive Vice President of Afreximbank indicated that frequently, the issue was not only that of financing, but also training stakeholders in the sector. She gave an overview of the Third Intra-African Trade Fair, scheduled to take place in November 2023, in Côte d’Ivoire. She stated that it is an event similar to CANEX, but with other components, and in line with the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In conclusion, Kaladji Fadiga, expressed the hope that the 412 million dollars of business generated would lead to more business. The Representative of the Minister of Trade informed actors in the cultural industries sector that they were now working with a multilateral financial institution that was prepared to assist them.