Africa is looking for new trade partners. Canada could fill the void, say NGOs
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As G7 leaders chew over crucial global issues in Kananaskis, a couple of international organizations are in Calgary, vying for Prime Minister Mark Carney's attention, to say one thing: invest in Africa.
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For decades, the continent has been a recipient of foreign aid, which, albeit imperfectly, has helped countries improve several sectors, including education, literacy and health. Following massive cuts by the U.S. to its international funding, countries within Africa are left reeling from the void.
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One, a philanthropic organization by Bono, lead singer for the band U2, along with Engineers Without Borders, believes Canada can exploit that gap — not just through aid, but via trade.
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'Canadian businesses are looking for new trade partners,' Elise Legault, Canadian director of One, said. 'And we want to say the region that is the fastest growing in the world, the only region that's going to see important population growth in the next few decades, is Africa.'
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As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to impose global tariffs on its allies, including its northern neighbour, nations in Africa can allow Canada to expand its energy sector in important regions and magnify its wealth while boosting economic growth on the continent, Legault added.
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'Six hundred million people on the African continent don't have regular access to electricity, and this is also often regularly named as a big barrier for private investment growth,' Legault said.
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'Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that he wants Canada to be a global energy superpower — well, there's a lot of potential for partnerships with African countries to help develop their electricity grid and energy supply.'
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However, Africa isn't as big a priority as it once was.
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For instance, in 2002, when the G8 arrived in Kananaskis, global leaders focused on three priorities, the second of which was building a new partnership for Africa's development. That year, the Canadian federal government pledged $34.2 million to initiatives on the continent.
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Legault said funding to the region also came with advantages to its benefactors: it gave countries what is called soft power, a network of allies which allowed outside countries to enact change and seek cooperation at times of need. It also helped nations, like the U.S., to track diseases, such as Ebola, and prevent further outbreaks.
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