Lagos, Nigéria// — The CANEX Book Factory, a publishing incubator by Afreximbank’s (www.Afreximbank.com) Creative African Nexus (CANEX) Programme, has announced a three-member jury for the 2026 CANEX Prize for Publishing. This announcement comes ahead of CANEX WKND 2026, taking place from 5–8 November in Lagos, Nigeria.
Renowned Nigerian author and academic Professor Aderemi Raji-Oyelade will chair the jury, alongside 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 longlist.
Professor Aderemi Raji-Oyelade’s chairmanship brings decades of literary expertise to the competition. His leadership will sharpen the conversations on the role of publishers of Global African ideas in reclaiming the narrative, ultimately boosting Africa’s valuation and accelerating sustainable development across the diaspora and beyond.
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,” said Professor Raji-Oyelade. “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.
