Canada’s evolving partnership with Africa is at the centre of a recent keynote address by Cheryl Urban, Assistant Deputy Minister for Africa and Pan-African Geographic Affairs at Global Affairs Canada, delivered at the Canada East Africa Business Exchange meeting in Toronto.
Urban outlines a clear focus on diversified trade and investment, rooted in an Africa strategy that prioritizes practical commercial outcomes, strengthened diplomatic presence, and collaboration with African institutions. She highlights opportunities arising from the African Continental Free Trade Area, which can reduce barriers, lower costs, and enable Canadian firms to operate through strategic hubs serving the wider continent.
Agriculture and food systems are presented as central pillars, with Canada investing in value chains that connect production to processing, trade, and consumption. Urban points to initiatives supporting youth-led enterprises and farmer cooperatives, integrating Canadian expertise in post-harvest techniques and climate-smart practices.
She underscores the essential role of African Canadian diaspora communities in providing market insight, business networks, and cross-border investment, positioning human connections as a core asset in Canada’s long-term engagement with East Africa.
