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Kenneth Oguzie is the director of African -Canada Trade and Investment Venture. He speaks with BusinessDay’s Harrison Edeh on opportunities for Nigerian businesses in Canada.
What can Nigerians export to Canada or import from there?
Canada is home to world-class businesses in multiple sectors ranging from agriculture and agribusinesses, unique beverages, health foods, information and communication technologies, ocean technologies, to oil and gas services. Canada has a long trade history with Nigeria and Africa as a whole, with bilateral trade between both countries averaging about $2.3 billion yearly since 2006. This has been projected to grow further after the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) signed a few years ago to improve ease of doing business between both countries. Canada’s exports to Nigeria totalled $313 million in 2016, which makes Nigeria Canada’s third largest export destination. Most of these came from wheat, manufacturing equipment, software, aeronautics, seafood (Nova Scotia), cars as well as service-based industries, including IT and financial services infrastructure. In addition, Canada refines a good chunk of crude oil from Nigeria.
From the Nigeria side, most of exports to Canada consist of mineral fuels and oils, cocoa, rubber, agricultural products, lead and processed foods. There are also opportunities for increased export especially in the areas of agriculture and agri-business. Products such as ginger, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter are also been imported from West Africa, including Nigeria, to Canada.
Chinese, British and American goods and services are very popular in Nigeria, and in high demand too. But not much is known about Canada’s. Why is this so?
I think Canadian products are in abundance in Nigeria, but probably the general public is not aware. Manufacturing equipment, wheat, seafood and aeronautics are large-scale imports from Canada to Nigeria. A great chunk of seafood consumed in Nigeria comes from Canada. Organisations such as Africa Canada Trade Investment ventures ( www.activafr.com) are capable intermediaries to contact for information on potential buyers in Canada. As the British, Chinese markets are getting more saturated. Businesses should consider exploring new markets, including Canada especially with their friendly trade rules. Canada also has more than 300 commercial ports and harbours for transport of goods locally and internationally and is also home to the world’s longest inland waterway open to shipping in addition to its sophisticated rail transport system for goods and cargo.
The Nigerian government is determined to ensure increase in non-oil exports. In concrete terms, what are these things Nigerians can export to Canada?
These are some of the products that I alluded to earlier, including mineral fuels and oils, cocoa, rubber, agricultural products, lead and processed foods. Other agricultural products include ginger, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter, among others.
There’s a belief among many in Nigeria that there is currently a hostile immigration attitude towards would-be Nigerian immigrants. Is this different in Canada?
I would not use the word ‘hostile’ as Canadians are one of the friendliest people on earth and there is evidence-based research to support this. I think Canada has a robust and objective immigration system which might appear ‘daunting’ on the outside but is not overly complicated if an individual puts in the work to study it thoroughly and see if they meet the requirements. The application and immigration pathway is straightforward but it has been formulated majorly to ensure highly skilled professionals are the main targets. That is not to say, there are not opportunities for international students as well as refugees and asylum seekers who have been displaced from their countries for one reason or the other. In fact, between 2015 to 2018, Canada was one of the countries with the highest number of refugees and asylum seekers who chose Canada as they consider it a safe haven for them and their families.
The United States a few years back deliberately promoted policies that encouraged the import of certain African food, why has Canada not followed suit?
The aim of the bilateral trade agreement (Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement) signed a few years ago is to improve ease of doing business between Nigeria and Africa, and there are empirical data to show how imports and exports have grown between both countries since that time. African businesses looking to connect with businesses in Canada for export and trade opportunities are encouraged to network and attend trade summits, including the upcoming Trade and Investment Summit taking place in Halifax, Canada in March 2019. Businesses can get the opportunity to meet with senior decision makers of Canadian businesses looking to partner and engage in Trade with African businesses and build connections.
What are your plans to encourage a robust and mutually beneficial relationship between Canada and Nigeria?
As an individual and the director of African Canada Trade and Investment ventures (ACTIV), a leader in building business bridges between Canada and Africa and connecting businesses, we provide business expertise to businesses across both regions as a result of our extensive and in-depth knowledge and understanding of both markets, including regulations, culture and access to decision-makers within the private sector as well as government. We also host trade and business summits such as the upcoming Nova Scotia-Africa Trade and business summit taking place in Halifax, Canada. This first of its kind event in Maritime Canada will give African businesses that much desired platform to gain international exposure for their business and build long last relationships with their Canadian counterparts.
