Nigeria and Canada have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with renewed focus on trade, investment, renewable energy, education, security, and technological cooperation.
This was the outcome of a courtesy visit by Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, Randeep Sarai, to Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
During the meeting, both countries reaffirmed their longstanding cordial relationship and explored avenues for expanding cooperation in critical sectors, including agriculture, infrastructure, mining, renewable energy, peace and security, technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
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Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the visit as timely, especially as Nigeria continues to implement economic reforms aimed at creating a more attractive environment for foreign investment and sustainable economic growth.
She highlighted investment opportunities in Nigeria’s renewable energy, fintech, digital innovation, solid minerals, and creative industries, while encouraging increased Canadian participation in these sectors.
The minister also stressed the need for deeper collaboration in intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism efforts, and regional security cooperation, noting that insecurity and violent extremism remain significant threats to economic stability and livelihoods across the region.
In his remarks, Sarai acknowledged Nigeria’s strategic importance in Africa and praised the growing strength of Nigeria-Canada relations, particularly through the contributions of the Nigerian diaspora community in Canada.
He reiterated Canada’s commitment to supporting development initiatives centred on education, climate resilience, women’s empowerment, youth development, and sustainable economic cooperation.
The Canadian official further expressed his country’s readiness to strengthen partnerships with Nigeria in renewable energy, mining, nuclear technology, artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, and educational exchange programmes.
He also emphasised the need to improve trade frameworks and cooperation in migration management and law enforcement to facilitate legitimate travel and business activities between both countries.
Both sides also discussed the implementation of key bilateral agreements, including the Bilateral Air Services Agreement and the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), which are expected to boost trade, investment, and broader economic cooperation.
Both countries reaffirmed their shared commitment to sustaining high-level engagements and deepening strategic cooperation in pursuit of mutual economic prosperity, regional stability, and sustainable development.
