By Bamidele Famoofo
WorldStage— The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, has opened applications for the 2026 edition of the CANEX WKND 2026 Junior Chef Competition. The competition invites Nigeria’s most promising junior culinary talents, aged 16 to 21, to showcase their creativity, technical skills, and cultural storytelling at the CANEX WKND 2026, set to hold from 5 to 8, November 2026, in Lagos, Nigeria.
Applications opened on 5 June 2026 and will remain open until 26 June 2026 via the official CANEX platform.
Now in its second edition, the competition builds on the landmark debut in Algiers, Algeria, during IATF2025, with Fatma Zohra Bendjelida crowned the inaugural winner. This year, the spotlight turns to Nigeria’s next generation of culinary talents. Eight aspiring young chefs will earn their place on the live stage at CANEX WKND in Lagos, where they will transform African culinary heritage into bold, signature creations; making dishes that honour the flavours, traditions, and stories of the continent while presenting a fresh, fearless voice in African gastronomy.
The journey to the finals unfolds in stages. Shortlisted applicants will advance to a semi-final round of live cooking sessions before an independent jury of culinary leaders from across Africa and the Caribbean. Competitors will be judged on creativity and innovation, technical skill, plating and presentation, ingenuity in the use of local ingredients, and their ability to tell cultural stories through food.
Commenting on the launch, Afreximbank’s Director of Intra-African Trade and Export Development (Creatives and Diaspora), Temwa Gondwe, said: “The CANEX Junior Chef Competition reflects Afreximbank’s commitment to Africa’s creative economy, by investing in the talent and enterprises that will define its future. Africa’s gastronomy is among the world’s richest, yet most underexplored assets. It is a living expression of our heritage, ingredients and stories, and a commercial sector with the power to drive tourism, create jobs, strengthen local food supply chains and open new markets for African cuisine. Through CANEX, we are turning culinary creativity into enterprise.”
The vision of the Junior Chef Competition sits at the heart of CANEX’s broader mission to establish gastronomy as one the defining pillars of Africa’s creative economy, nurture talents, and advance food as an engine of cultural expression and commerce.
Selected participants will gain visibility, mentorship, and connections with leading chefs and sector stakeholders, while creating pathways to translate culinary talent into enterprise opportunities. The top three winners will receive cash prices, certificates and trophies.
