LIFI (Lagos International Festival of Illustrations) is the event on the African continent entirely dedicated to the art of illustration. Born in 2025 thanks to the Book Buzz Foundation, a Nigerian cultural foundation in Lagos, also creator of the Aké Arts and Book Festival.
LIFI 2026 will take place from September 17 to 19, 2026 at the Ouida-Lagos cultural center, a versatile space in the heart of Opebi, Lagos State.
The program includes masterclasses, workshops, exhibitions, panels, and illustrator showcases. The expected audience includes professional illustrators, students, and teachers.
The guest countries of this edition are: Switzerland, Poland, and Italy.
Italy and literature have a special bond. Italy has a consolidated literary history, with 6 Nobel Prize-winning authors between 1906 and 1997. This heritage is still reflected today on the international scene with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, one of the world’s leading events dedicated to children’s and young adult literature.
In 2023 the Book Buzz Foundation launched the BookStorm project, in collaboration with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Mimaster Illustrazione in Milan, where 16 Nigerian artists attended a 10-week online illustration course.
Inviting Italy as Guest Country is a natural step in an already fertile cultural relationship.
🎯 LIFI 2026 sets ambitious goals:
- Train 45 Nigerian illustrators through structured masterclasses.
- Bring 9 European illustrators to Nigeria for residencies and teaching activities.
- Strengthen the academic pipeline with partnerships with the University of Lagos and Yaba College of Technology.
- Produce exhibitions and publications that give international visibility to Nigerian illustrators.
- Build lasting collaborations between European and African artists.
With Italy as the protagonist in 2026, the dialogue between Europe and Africa promises to open new paths for the art of illustration.
Official LIFI website: https://bookbuzzfoundation.org/festivals/lagos-international-festival-illustrations/lagos-international-festivals-of-illustrations-2026/
