The CANEX Book Factory, a publishing incubator under the Creative African Nexus (CANEX) Programme of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has unveiled a three-member jury for the 2026 CANEX Prize for Publishing.
The announcement comes ahead of the 2026 edition of CANEX WKND, scheduled to hold from November 5 to 8 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The jury will be chaired by renowned Nigerian author and academic, Professor Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, who will be joined by South African literary scholar, Professor Polo Moji, and Kenyan poet and broadcaster, Khainga O’Okwemba.
According to the organisers, the panel will review all eligible entries and select the winning publisher from the competition’s competitive longlist.
Raji-Oyelade brings decades of literary and academic experience to the jury, with his appointment expected to strengthen discussions around the role of publishers in promoting and advancing African ideas globally.
The organisers said the prize would contribute to efforts to reclaim Africa’s narrative while enhancing the continent’s cultural and economic value.
The initiative is also aimed at supporting the creative publishing ecosystem and accelerating sustainable development across Africa and the African diaspora.
The CANEX Prize for Publishing is part of Afreximbank’s broader CANEX Programme, which seeks to promote Africa’s creative industries and expand opportunities for African creative professionals and businesses.
CANEX WKND 2026 will bring together stakeholders from across Africa and the global African creative economy in Lagos for discussions, networking and opportunities aimed at strengthening the continent’s creative industries.
In his comments, Professor Aderemi Raji-Oyelade said: “It is an honour to chair this distinguished jury and to experience the breadth and quality of publishing from Africa and its diaspora.
“The CANEX Prize offers an important opportunity to recognise the work publishers do in bringing books and ideas to readers and strengthening our literary cultures. I look forward to our deliberations, and to celebrating the finalists and eventual winner at CANEX WKND in Lagos this November.”
The 2026 edition also marks an important development for the Prize. The CANEX Prize for Publishing (formerly the CANEX Prize for Publishing in Africa) reflects an 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.
About the Jury
Prof Aderemi Raji–Oyelade is Professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where he teaches Literature of the African Diaspora, Creative Writing and New Media. A multiple award-winning poet and scholar, he is the author of seven poetry collections, including A Harvest of Laughters (1997), Lovesong for My Wasteland (2005) and Wanderer Cantos (2021). He previously served as Secretary of PEN Nigeria Centre and later as President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
Prof Polo B. Moji is Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town. Her monograph Gender and the Spatiality of Blackness in Contemporary AfroFrench Narratives (Routledge, 2022) won the 2024 African Literature Association First Book Award. She is also co-editor of Cinematic Imaginaries of the African City (Routledge, 2023) and Conversational Bridges in African Feminisms: Weaving Knowledge Together (HSRC Press, 2025), and is a co-investigator on the African Literary Cities research project.
Khainga O’Okwemba is a Kenyan poet, essayist and travel writer. He is the producer and presenter of The Books Café on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and serves as Sub-Editor of The Mast, a publication of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
About CANEX
Given the relevance and opportunities provided by the creative economy as a key driver for development and job creation, Afreximbank has developed the Creative Africa Nexus programme to facilitate the development and growth of the creative and cultural industries in Africa and the diaspora. The initiative provides a range of financing and non-financing instruments /interventions aimed at supporting and developing Africa’s production, trade, and investment in the creative sector.
According to Afreximbank, the key strategic objectives under the CANEX Programme include:
- Increasing Africa’s share of global cultural trade flows through trade and investment promotion activities
- Deploying specialised financial products to support the CCI ecosystem
- Facilitating technical capacity programs that enable export-grade production
- Facilitating market access to high-value demand hubs (through partnerships)
- Advocating for harmonised regulatory reform, especially concerning IP rights and incentives
