Nigeria officially kicked off its activation of AfroVision X 2026, a month-long global festival celebrating African and Caribbean creativity, set to take place across Toronto, Brampton, and Mississauga, Canada, from June 1 to June 30, 2026.
The Lagos launch press conference brought together leaders in business, policy, culture, and the arts, signalling a coordinated effort to leverage Nigeria’s cultural influence into structured economic opportunities.
David Bebiem, Convener of AfroVision X and CEO of Grandieu, who travelled from Canada for the event, described Nigeria as the central hub of the festival’s global network.
“Nigeria is the heartbeat of modern African creativity,” Bebiem said. “From music and film to fashion and digital arts, this nation shapes global culture. AfroVision X 2026 is intentionally designed as a structured marketplace — a convergence point for creatives, investors, brands, and diaspora networks to generate measurable economic impact.”
The festival will feature fashion showcases, film screenings, music concerts, theatre productions, exhibitions, and industry roundtables, culminating in a global awards platform.
Leading Nigeria’s coordination is Inspiro Productions, with Founder and CEO Ayoola Sadare highlighting the need to transform informal cultural exports into intentional trade.
“Nigeria already exports culture organically,” Sadare said. “AfroVision X provides the infrastructure to transform that influence into capital access, diaspora engagement, and institutional growth. This is about positioning our creatives within formal global economic systems.”
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry voiced strong support. Chairperson of the Chamber’s Creative Economy Sector, Obukome Elaine Ibru-Mukoro, described the initiative as timely and aligned with Nigeria’s economic priorities, alongside Andre Bassey, Director of Programmes for the Creative and Entertainment Sector.
Industrialist Prince Adeyemi-Doro highlighted technology’s role in scaling the creative economy.
“The intersection of Artificial Intelligence, digital infrastructure, and the creative economy is where talent converts into scalable value. With the right systems, young Nigerian creatives can compete and win in structured global markets,” he said.
Cultural advocate Oluwatoyin Shogbesan of the Asa Heritage Foundation stressed the importance of narrative ownership in international cultural exchange, drawing on her work at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos.
AfroVision X 2026 aims to position Nigeria not only as a cultural powerhouse but as a structured hub for economic growth, investment, and global creative collaboration.
