How an African Immigrant to Halifax is Forging a Canada-Africa Commerce Collaboration

There has been an increasing interest in diversifying trade and investment between Canada and African countries beyond the traditional sectors and some members of the African community here in Nova Scotia are taking on the challenge to bridge these trade horizons. Ken Oguzie, member of the African community and the CEO of Africa Canada Trade and Investment Venture (ACTIV), is partnering with Damian MacInnis,  the President, Colindale Solutions, 

According to MacInnis, the key to their success in bringing investment to Nova Scotia and to Canadian companies lies in their understanding of the internal workings of doing business in Africa. "And that's why we partnered up, to tell you the truth," MacInnis pointed out. 

"Well, I think it's been a great experience. Thankfully, we've been seeing some of the milestones which any business will want to see," Oguzie said.

Oguzie and MacInnis both expressed a high level of excitement, particularly due to a recently signed deal between an investment company in Nigeria that specializes in the power sector. This deal involved the Nigerian investment company investing in a company located in Nova Scotia. Oguzie mentioned that this investment agreement is the first of its kind, representing a significant milestone in their endeavours.

He also highlighted that their success in such ventures was not achieved on their own; rather, they accomplished this through collaborations with various partners such as Colindale. 

MacInnis, who personally visited Africa not long ago, shared his thoughts on the experience during his visit." It was interesting. It wasn't anything that I could have ever imagined, really, because of the amount of commerce and opportunities I saw. "