Nigeria and Canada Seek Stronger Trade Ties as Minister Leads Delegation to Toronto

Nigeria is taking the Headies music awards to Canada with an economic message: its music, culture and creative businesses should open doors to trade and investment.

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The decision to take the Headies to Canada under the theme ‘Africa to the World’, is particularly significant. It represents Nigeria to the world, from our music, our culture, our stories, our talents, and our entrepreneurs.

Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Hannatu Musawa will lead a Nigerian delegation to a trade and investment summit in Toronto, where the 18th African Music Awards will also be showcased. She described the move as part of a broader effort to present Nigerian music, stories, talent and entrepreneurs to international audiences.

“The decision to take the Headies to Canada under the theme ‘Africa to the World’, is particularly significant,” Musawa said at a gathering in Lagos organized by the Headies and hosted by Canada’s Deputy High Commission. “For us as government, this is more than cultural celebration, because it is about economic expansion, and about creating a stronger, more productive, and more prosperous Nigeria economy.”

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For us as government, this is more than cultural celebration, because it is about economic expansion, and about creating a stronger, more productive, and more prosperous Nigeria economy.

Musawa said the creative economy could contribute whenever Nigerian songs travel abroad, films reach new audiences, or fashion, fabrics and brands enter foreign markets. “That is why we must move from simply celebrating Nigerian creativity to commercially scaling Nigerian creativity,” she said.

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Both countries already have strong connections to trade, education, investment, including a significant Nigerian diaspora in Canada, numbering 120,000.

Canadian officials pointed to established links between the two countries. Deputy High Commissioner Carlos Rojas-Abulu said Canada has a Nigerian diaspora of 120,000 people and receives 20,000 to 25,000 Nigerian students at its universities and schools. He said both sides could build on those connections through trade, investment, technology, education, innovation and skills. High Commissioner David Sproulel said the week-long celebration, creativity summit and trade and investment summit would further strengthen bilateral trade relations.

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The one-week celebration of Nigerian culture and music, combined with a special creativity summit and a trade and investment summit alongside, will further strengthen trade relation between Nigeria and Canada.