Cobhams Asuquo and festival founder The Salako will headline the fourth Abuja International Afrojazz Festival. The 2026 edition will introduce a professional music market to connect Nigerian artists with international industry players.
The festival will run from November 18 to 21, featuring live performances, an artist residency and a grand finale concert.
Music market to connect Nigerian artists with global industry
The Professional Music Market will hold on November 19 and 20 in Jabi, Abuja. It will bring together about 20 international professionals from 10 countries.
Participants will include festival directors, promoters, booking agents, journalists, intellectual-property experts, artists and managers.
Supported by the Institut français Nigeria and the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, the initiative aims to help Nigerian musicians secure international bookings, build partnerships and explore touring and co-production opportunities.
The programme will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, industry clinics, business-to-business meetings and one-on-one sessions.
The first day, themed CONNECT, will focus on global music ecosystems, intellectual property, monetisation and digital technology. The second day, themed CREATE & DEVELOP, will explore the European music industry and ways to build professional partnerships.
Speaking ahead of the event, The Salako said the festival was expanding its focus beyond live performances.
“This year we are not only putting great artists on stage. We are bringing the people who book festivals, run labels and build careers into the same room as our artists.”
International acts to perform at the festival
The Nordic Abuja will host showcase performances on November 19 and 20. Seven acts were selected from 75 applications across 26 countries. They include four Nigerian performers and artists from the United Kingdom, the Benin Republic and Austria.
The festival will also host a four-day residency featuring Togolese musician Papyrus, Beninese artist Pepe Oleka and Abuja-based Pearl Rocker. The trio will create new material for the closing concert.
The grand finale will hold on November 21 at BALI City Park, Wuse 2. Asuquo and his band will perform alongside The Salako, Jessica Bongos, Chile-born Gustavo Cerqueiras, Greece-based Adedeji and the residency participants.
Founded in 2021, the festival combines music, cultural diplomacy and creative-industry development. Its 2025 edition attracted more than 1,000 guests, including ambassadors from Sweden, Switzerland, Austria and Egypt.
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