Partnership for Development: Reviewing the Canada-Nigeria Relationship

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Spotlight

By Julius Atanawhemera

Canada and Nigeria established diplomatic relations in 1962, shortly after Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Since then, the relationship has developed beyond diplomacy into trade, investment, development, mobility, education, security, and private-sector cooperation.

A major institutional mechanism is the Canada–Nigeria Binational Commission (BNC), which provides a high-level forum for discussing commercial, political, development, security, mobility, and other bilateral matters. The two countries’ economic relationship has become increasingly significant.

In 2024, bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and Nigeria totaled approximately C$2.9 billion, making Nigeria Canada’s second-largest trading partner in Africa. Canada’s exports to Nigeria were approximately C$534 million, while Canadian imports from Nigeria were approximately C$2.3 billion. Canada’s principal exports included cereals, motor vehicles and parts, and industrial machinery, while imports from Nigeria included petroleum oils, cocoa, and soybeans.

The relationship also has an investment dimension. Canadian direct investment in Nigeria amounted to approximately C$32 million in 2024, while Canadian portfolio investment stood at approximately C$590 million. Trade and investment are also facilitated by a bilateral double-taxation agreement.

These figures demonstrate that Canada–Nigeria economic relations are not merely diplomatic or symbolic. They represent a significant commercial relationship with considerable potential for expansion. The question, therefore, is whether both countries are doing enough to translate that economic relationship into deeper investment, stronger commercial partnerships, technology transfer, job creation, and sustainable economic development.

It was against this broader Canada–Nigeria economic relationship that the Nigeria Diaspora Economic Conference (NIDEC) 2026 was convened in Toronto, Canada, from August 13–15, 2026. Organized by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the conference was conceived as a high-level, outcomes-driven investment platform intended to mobilize Nigerian diaspora capital, expertise, and global networks toward sustainable investment, job creation, and economic growth in Nigeria. The program emphasized moving beyond dialogue toward practical deal facilitation, partnerships, and implementation. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented at the opening by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, urged Nigerians in the diaspora to move beyond sending money home and toward building productive stakes in Nigeria’s economy. This was an important message.

Nigeria’s diaspora is not merely a source of remittances. It represents a significant reservoir of capital, professional expertise, international networks, technology, entrepreneurial experience, and access to global markets. The strategic question is therefore not whether Nigeria should engage its diaspora. It unquestionably should. The more important question is how effectively that engagement is structured, institutionalized, and converted into measurable economic outcomes.

It is in this context that serious questions should be asked about the effectiveness and long-term impact of the conference. The objective of an international economic conference should not simply be to assemble government officials, political leaders, diaspora organizations, and businesspeople in one location.

The test should be: What was achieved? How many meaningful Canadian–Nigerian business relationships were established? How much investment was actually committed?

How many transactions were facilitated? How many partnerships were created? How many jobs are expected to result? How many memoranda of understanding will translate into completed projects? And, critically, what measurable economic outcomes will Nigerians ultimately see? These are legitimate questions of public accountability.

The conference was explicitly promoted as an opportunity to mobilize diaspora capital, expertise, and international networks toward investment, job creation, partnerships, and sustainable development. NiDCOM emphasized the need to move beyond dialogue toward practical investment and implementation. Consequently, the Nigerian government should be prepared to publish a clear post-conference outcomes report detailing the investments, partnerships, commitments, memoranda, transactions, and implementation mechanisms arising from the event. Without measurable follow-through, an economic conference risks becoming another occasion for speeches, photographs, political visibility, and expenditure without sufficient economic return. The appropriate response is therefore not simply to declare the conference a success or a failure. The appropriate response is to measure its results against the objectives for which it was convened.

There is also a legitimate question concerning the level of Canadian institutional and political participation in Nigeria’s economic outreach. Canada and Nigeria already have a significant economic relationship. Canada maintains diplomatic representation in Nigeria and provides trade and investment support to Canadian businesses interested in the Nigerian market. The two governments also maintain the Binational Commission as a formal mechanism for advancing bilateral relations. Against this background, major Nigerian economic initiatives in Canada should ideally seek meaningful engagement with relevant Canadian federal, provincial, municipal, trade, investment, and business institutions. This is not merely a question of protocol. The objective should therefore be to create an ecosystem in which government, business, diaspora, and institutional actors complement one another rather than operate in isolation.

Julius Atanawhemera is the Founder & President, International School of Conflict Management and Diplomatic Studies (ISCMDS), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.