Progress towards partnership: Canada taking strides on African engagement

Canada’s recent announcements about new initiatives to strengthen partnerships within Africa mark an encouraging shift in our diplomatic, trade, and development priorities. During the second annual Canada–African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue in Toronto on Nov. 7, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—alongside several Canadian ministers and diplomats—met with representatives from the African Union Commission, including chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. Importantly, members of the African diaspora were also in attendance, and shared their reflections and vision for strengthening Canada-Africa relations. Following the Dialogue, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, Trade Minister Mary Ng, and International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen unveiled several initiatives aimed at strengthening Canada-Africa ties. Joly committed $54.4-million for peace, governance, and diplomatic initiatives, including a special envoy for Africa, a high commission in Zambia, and an embassy in Benin. Hussen followed with $176.6-million in funding to promote social and economic empowerment, climate resilience, and skill development. Finally, Ng announced the launch of a Pan-African Trade Hub and forthcoming Air Transport Agreements with Nigeria and Ghana. Moving the needle David Boroto is an infrastructure advisory consultant with Mott MacDonald Canada, and serves as the chair of the board of directors at Engineers Without Borders Canada. Photograph courtesy of David Boroto These announcements—backed by more than $200-million in funding commitments—highlight Canada’s recognition of Africa as a valuable partner. After years of stagnation following the initial promise of an Africa strategy in 2021, and several rounds of public consultations, Canada is finally taking substantive action to strengthen its economic partnerships on the continent of growing global significance. The new embassy and high commission will bolster support for Canadians abroad while strengthening ties with key African governments, especially in strategic locations such as Zambia, whose significant mineral reserves—critical for the energy transition—present a compelling opportunity for Canadian expertise in sustainable resource development and renewable energy. Similarly, the upcoming Air Transport Agreements are a practical step in facilitating travel and trade with Ghana and Nigeria, two West African nations whose relative geographic proximity to Canada, economic significance, and cultural importance within Africa make them natural strategic partners. Importantly, the diaspora engagement mechanism recognizes the latent knowledge, experience, and energy within Canada’s diverse African diaspora—comprising more than 1.5 million people—and serves as an important step to harness their expertise. Progress towards a comprehensive strategy Despite this progress, it is important to recognize that these announcements are just “some of the first deliverables” in a planned new Africa strategy the government intends to announce by the end of the year. Therefore, it is imperative that these announcements are just the opening note and not the crescendo of Canada’s approach to engaging with the continent. While the funding commitments are a promising start, these will need to increase to the order of billions of dollars to match the scale of the continent’s opportunities and challenges. For reference, our Indo-Pacific strategy committed $2.3-billion over five years to advance our strategic objectives in the region. The details and implementation of the announced initiatives must also be closely monitored, specifically the operationalization of the diaspora engagement mechanism, the Global Affairs Canada trade and development program, the Pan-African Trade Hub, and the special envoys for Africa and the Sahel. Furthermore, key sectors of mutual alignment such as agriculture, climate resilience, mining, and manufacturing received only cursory mention. Infrastructure and engineering—a key priority for Africa’s development where Canada can play a unique role—was notably absent from the announcements. Details on how Canada plans to engage in these sectors must be featured in the upcoming strategy. The road ahead Canada’s renewed commitment to Africa shows promise, but this must only be viewed as the first step. With this strong tailwind, 2025 has the potential to be a landmark year for Canada-Africa relations. Following the release of its Africa strategy, Canada will take the G7 presidency in 2025 alongside South Africa, who will hold the G20 presidency. This perfect storm presents an ideal moment to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to African partnerships, particularly in infrastructure development. South Africa’s renewed focus on infrastructure development, and the momentum of the G7-led Partnerships for Global Infrastructure Initiative set the perfect stage. These recent steps made by our government are encouraging. But for Canada to be a trusted partner to African nations, these commitments must continue to grow to reflect the continent’s growing importance in the global economy. There is still much work to be done on this file. But the needle has been moved. Born in South Africa to Congolese parents, David Boroto is a third-culture kid Canadian with a global outlook. He resides in Toronto where he works as an infrastructure advisory consultant with Mott MacDonald Canada, and serves as the chair of the board of directors at Engineers Without Borders Canada. David holds a bachelor’s in engineering science, specializing in infrastructure engineering, from the University of Toronto, and a master of philosophy in engineering for sustainable development from the University of Cambridge. The Hill Times

Progress towards partnership: Canada taking strides on African engagement

It is imperative that these announcements are just the opening note and not the crescendo of Canada’s approach to engaging with the continent.

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