Canada’s top diplomat in Abuja, Dr David Sproule, has reaffirmed the Canada-Nigeria strategic partnership, pledging deeper collaboration on private sector growth, climate resilience and youth employment across the country.
Sproule, the Chargé d’Affaires at the Canadian High Commission, made the commitment during a high-level meeting with the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Sproule told the minister that Nigeria remains a priority country under Canada’s Africa Strategy. He said the relationship rests on economic importance, regional influence and the country’s potential to drive growth across the continent.
According to him, Canada channelled more than $127 million in international assistance to Nigeria through bilateral and multilateral routes in 2024 and 2025. He said the funding supported economic growth, gender equality, health, climate resilience and stronger institutions.
The Canada-Nigeria strategic partnership has increasingly focused on economic cooperation, institutional strengthening and sustainable development initiatives.
Sproule explained that Canada’s renewed engagement with Africa now looks beyond traditional development assistance. He said the approach favours economic cooperation, skills development, youth employment and private sector led growth.
“Under Canada’s Africa Strategy, Nigeria has been identified as a priority, based on the strength of our relationship, past successes, and Nigeria’s economic importance in African affairs,” Sproule said.
He added that Canada intends to widen cooperation with Nigeria through initiatives built around shared prosperity and sustainable development.
Bagudu, responding on behalf of the ministry, welcomed the continued partnership. He described the relationship as one built on mutual respect, shared interests and a common commitment to development. He said the Canada-Nigeria strategic partnership continues to provide a framework for cooperation in areas critical to Nigeria’s development agenda.
The minister highlighted ongoing economic reforms in Nigeria, noting that the federal government wants an environment that supports private sector investment, widens economic opportunities and reduces poverty.
He said attracting investment benefits the nation more than foreign aid, and that the government would push its reforms to a logical conclusion. Officials said the Canada-Nigeria strategic partnership could help unlock new opportunities for trade, investment and skills development.
Bagudu pointed to the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which maps development priorities across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards, as central to the government’s strategy. He said the ward based approach helps government and development partners identify local opportunities, coordinate interventions and avoid duplication.
He urged Canada and its private sector community to explore investment opportunities in Nigeria. The minister said the country’s development journey needs stronger collaboration among government, investors and international partners.
“Development partnerships can only go so far. What we need is to create opportunities for the private sector to participate, invest, and help drive sustainable growth,” Bagudu said.
He noted that Nigeria’s reforms are already yielding results, citing improved investor confidence and a more competitive business environment. Nigeria continues to attract significant infrastructure investment, he said, as the country repositions itself to compete for global capital.
Bagudu stressed the importance of telling Nigeria’s development story to the world. He said the country’s democratic stability and economic reforms offer lessons for other nations undergoing similar transformations.
Both sides used the meeting to underline commitment to capacity building and monitoring and evaluation, with Canada supporting Nigeria’s development planning institutions. Both governments indicated that the Canada-Nigeria strategic partnership would remain central to future engagement between Abuja and Ottawa.
The renewed Canada-Nigeria strategic partnership now looks toward expanding cooperation in areas that promote economic transformation, create opportunities for young Nigerians and strengthen ties between the two countries.
