Invest in
Canada - Africa Now!
Canada continues to deprioritize its relationship with African countries, leaving billions of dollars’ worth of opportunities and growth on the table every year. However, more recently, the Canadian Government has been considering making necessary changes to strengthen its relationship with Africa.
With nationwide consultations on how to boost our engagement with Africa, we want to hear from you! Enough is enough. Join us and help us make sure that the government knows Canadians want to see a stronger Canada-Africa partnership.
With your help, Canada can build a mutually beneficial relationship with countries across Africa, promoting prosperity, development, and international solidarity. Let's build a brighter future for Canada and Africa alike!
The CAGC is looking to support the Canadian Government in creating a reliable Canada-Africa Strategy that can mutually support the growth of African countries and Canada. By signing up and joining the CAGC, you can help turn promises into actions.
The Canada Africa Growth Coalition (CAGC) promotes greater connections and mutual benefit between Canada and African countries.
Our stakeholders are experts in Canada-Africa relations from the areas of international development, trade and economic development, diplomacy, and diaspora mobilization. Together we promote increased Canadian investment and engagement in Africa.
The CAGC is managed by Crestview Strategy with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
What is the issue?
Canada’s relationship with African countries and the continent has not been a priority for our government – and this needs to change.
Over the next 30 years, trade and employment-generating industries could add trillions to Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP. By 2050, aid, good governance, trade, and employment-generating industries could add over $10 trillion to sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP. For Canada, sitting on the sidelines would represent an enormous lost opportunity, whereas engagement could create over 400,000 additional jobs and bring in hundreds of billions to the Canadian economy.
The time is right for Canada to develop a comprehensive Canada-sub-Saharan Africa Strategy that spurs a concerted effort to leverage aid, investments, trade and diplomacy to accelerate economic growth opportunities across Canada and sub-Saharan Africa.
As the government works to create a Canada-Africa Economic Cooperation Strategy, we need to ensure that the right messages and concerns are being brought up. Help us do that by signing up.
What will investing in a
Canada-Africa Strategy mean?
Economic benefit to
Canada and Africa
With your help, the CAGC aims to sustain economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening the partnership between between Africa and Canada. Recognizing that there is joint opportunity, there are so many chances to harness on-the-ground innovations to solve context-specific problems.
Enhancing
Diplomacy
With a solid foundation of common values, traditions, principles of equity, transparency, integrity and a commitment to improving human lives, both Canada and Africa can build stronger diplomatic and economic ties that catapult them onto the international stage as allies and partners.
Solidifying
Relations
The current state of the Canada-Africa relationship needs attention from the Canadian Government as there continues to be calls from African countries and diplomats for a stronger relationship.
For more information, visit the Canada-Africa Economic Strategy Consultations:
About
The CAGC is a not-for-profit, stakeholder-driven advocacy organization that promotes greater connections between Canada and Africa in the areas of international development, trade, economic development, diplomacy, and diaspora community mobilization. Our mission is to advocate and work towards the most transformative, far-reaching Africa-focused engagement strategy in Canadian history.
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The CAGC is working with organizations, associations, trade commissioners and others to advance a Canada-Africa strategy. Sign up to stay informed and learn more.
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We are committed to working with like-minded organizations and individuals to deepen the Canada-Africa relationship.
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Over the next 30 years, increased engagement between Canada and sub-Saharan Africa could add more than $10 trillion to sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP.
For more information on how an investment in the Canada-Africa partnership can help propel economic development and growth in both Canada and Africa, check out the full Opportunity 2050 report and the full What We Heard report.
What can
you do?
With the current Canada-Africa Economic Cooperation Strategy consultations, we need you to help urge the Canadian Government to make the necessary investments in the Canada-Africa relationship. Help bring it to our government’s attention as a lucrative investment in a Canada-Africa partnership is a mutually beneficial endeavour.
Sign-up and share with your network!
Events
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Past Events
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With the Canadian government actively crafting a strategy for economic cooperation across Africa, our panel of experts will dissected how Canada's Strategy for Responsible Business Conduct Abroad should be at the forefront of this engagement. They discussed the pivotal role Canada can play in shaping a sustainable and responsible business landscape in the dynamic African markets. The featured panelists were Trevor Kennedy (Vice President, Trade and International Policy, Business Council of Canada), Miguel Simard (Senior Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer, Export Development Canada), Susan Namulindwa (Executive Director, Africa Trade Desk), Terry Cowl (Director, Trade Strategy and Responsible Business Conduct, Global Affairs Canada).
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December 8-10, 2020
We launched the coalition by hosting three virtual dialogues to discuss the core findings from the CAGC’s Opportunity 2050 report.
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We discussed these recommendations in our Ambassadorial Roundtable Series in the summer of 2021:
Stakeholder Roundtable with South Africa’s High Commissioner to Canada – June 17, 2021
Stakeholder Roundtable with Senegal’s Ambassador to Canada – July 21, 2021
Stakeholder Roundtable with Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada – August 10, 2021
Gowling WLG and Crestview Strategy's Shaping Canada's Engagement with Africa event on promoting responsible business conduct in Canada-Africa trade and investment
Ambassadorial Roundtables
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December 7-8, 2022.
At these events, we engaged stakeholders on substantive, final policy recommendations in the lead-up to various federal Canada-Africa planning frameworks.
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June 14, 2023
We engaged PS Virani and Global Affairs Canada on the Canada Africa Economic Cooperation Strategy (CAECS), which was subject to an open public consultation at the time of the event.
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July 14, 2023
CAGC stakeholders met with PS Oliphant to discuss the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ diplomatic framework for Africa.
Advocacy and Engagement
In 2020 and 2021, the CAGC held a series of dialogues and events to mobilize leading stakeholders around a united vision for strengthened engagement between Canada, individual countries in Africa, and the continent at-large. Our 2021 engagement concluded with roundtables with ambassadors and High Commissioners to Canada from several African countries including, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. These dialogues enabled better understanding of the most pressing matters facing Canadian engagement with Africa and the barriers to long-term economic development and meaningful international assistance. The dialogues also led to the creation of a succinct set of ten advocacy recommendations.
In 2022, the CAGC continued engaging with members of the business, academic, diaspora, and diplomatic communities by organizing a series of roundtables focused on discussions around official development assistance and economic development. The dialogue will go towards the CAGC’s continued efforts towards establishing a united, multi-stakeholder voice on the need for greater Canadian engagement with Africa.
The $2.7 Trillion Opportunity
Over the next 30 years, aid, good governance, trade, and employment-generating industries could add over $10 trillion to sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP. This in turn, could add up to $2.7 trillion to the Canadian economy during the same period. The time is right for Canada to develop a comprehensive Canada–sub-Saharan Africa Strategy that spurs a concerted effort to leverage diplomacy, aid, investments, and trade to accelerate economic recovery efforts across Canada and sub-Saharan Africa.
Crestview Strategy training session on crisis comms for the Nigerian private sector. Attendees included senior figures from the banking and real estate industries.
“Canada and African countries are natural partners in our shared commitment to democracy, climate change, gender equality, and economic growth that benefits everyone. The Government of Canada will continue to promote these shared values and priorities as we work together as partners to build a more peaceful world, advance human rights, and create new opportunities.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Diaspora Engagement
The CAGC is working with other stakeholders to better engage the African diaspora community living in Canada, to bring in their voices, input, and support forward for a Canada-Africa Strategy that aligns with our direct government relations outreach.
Crestview Strategy interview with Channels TV, Nigeria’s most popular TV channel about U.K. politics and its impact on Nigeria-Africa relations.
Direct Advocacy
In 2023, the CAGC will be launching our government relations advocacy, hosting a series of direct meetings and public events with key Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Members of Parliament and senior public service officials to discuss the need for a coherent Canada-Africa Strategy.
Crestview Strategy’s summer party attended by representatives from African embassies, the Westminster Africa Business Group and the East Africa Association.
