H.E. Wamkele Mene, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and The Honourable Anita Anand, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, engaged in a dialogue aimed at enhancing trade and investment relations between Africa and Canada in the context of a shifting global economic landscape.
The discussions highlighted the significance of diversified supply chains, adherence to rules-based trade, and the establishment of stronger economic partnerships in light of increasing global economic fragmentation.
The engagement acknowledged the AfCFTA as a vital framework for promoting industrialisation, investment, and intra-African trade, while also creating avenues for deeper economic cooperation between Canada and Africa across various sectors, including manufacturing, critical minerals, digital trade, energy, infrastructure, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women, and youth.
Furthermore, the meeting emphasized the need to translate the AfCFTA and the Canada–Africa Strategy into actionable and mutually beneficial outcomes through structured collaboration and investment-driven partnerships.
Wamkele Mene also took part in an In Conversation session in Ottawa with stakeholders, discussing the realities of conducting business in Africa amidst an increasingly intricate global economic environment.
The discussions centered on trade finance, investment partnerships, participation in supply chains, and the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area in reshaping Africa’s trade and investment landscape into viable opportunities across sectors such as logistics, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing.
Additionally, the conversation stressed the importance of bolstering Canada–Africa collaboration, enhancing private sector investment, and prioritizing SMEs, women, and youth-led enterprises in future trade and investment partnerships.
