By Christopher Thornley
Good evening and welcome to our celebration of one hundred and fifty years of Canada. My spouse Catherine and our son Jack join me in a warm welcome along with our whole team based in Abuja and Lagos.
Bonsoir et bienvenue à notre célébration du cent cinquantième anniversaire du Canada.
Thank you to the Abuja International Choir for their outstanding performance of our national anthems. We look forward to hearing several Canadian folk songs in a short while.
I am very pleased to see such a large crowd here tonight. I am sure it has nothing to do with the airport closure.
While the purpose of this evening is to mark the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Canada’s Confederation, it also provides us with an opportunity to officially welcome you to our new chancery building which was inaugurated by our foreign minister just a few short months ago.
It is still a work in progress but we wanted to use the opportunity of this occasion to invite all of you to our new home.
The building of this chancery underscores our strong and enduring relationship with Nigeria, and our commitment to continuing our friendly and productive relations for many years to come.
We also use this as our base for the diplomatic relations that we enjoy with Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principé – countries which we collaborate through multinational fora such as the Francophonie.
One hundred and fifty years ago, the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick came together in an act of Confederation to create what we now know as Canada.
Over the years, we solidified our place in the world as a strong and independent country and expanded the number of provinces and territories. We now have 10 provinces and 3 territories. Represented by the flags that you see flying to my left.
The one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Canadian Confederation features themes focusing on diversity and inclusiveness, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, youth, and the environment.
Like Nigeria, we are a federation with tremendous diversity in terms of region, language, religion and ethnicity.
Canada is strong because of our differences, not in spite of them. As a country, we are strengthened in many ways: by our shared experiences, by the diversity that inspires both Canada and the world, and by the way that we treat each other.
Le Canada est fort, non pas malgré nos différences, mais grâce à elles. La force du Canada réside entre autres dans nos expériences communes, dans la diversité qui inspire notre pays et le monde, et dans la façon dont nous nous traitons mutuellement.
Inclusion is a choice. This choice is guided by the many benefits that diversity can bring: higher rates of economic growth, better social cohesion and tremendous cultural and civic benefits.
It has taken years of hard work for Canada to get where it is today. Inclusion does not happen by accident, it happens because of choices.
- Decades ago, Canada chose to embrace a policy of multiculturalism and official bilingualism
- The Government of Canada chose to welcome more refugees
- Prime Minister Trudeau chose to have gender parity in Cabinet (because it’s 2015).
This year we also celebrate 55 years of diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
Our relationship is multifaceted including trade – Nigeria is Canada’s largest bilateral merchandise two-way trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa; international assistance including health and sustainable economic growth, collaboration in multinational fora, and working together on issues of mutual concern including human rights.
Above all, our relationship is about people.
I have met so many Nigerians that were taught by a Canadian, that used a notebook provided by Canada in school, or, in the case of a governor I recently met who was taught to swim by a Canadian volunteer teacher. He still remembers her name decades later.
There are also many Nigerians who have benefited from our educational system in Canada.
Right now, there are 10,000 Nigerians studying in Canada. When they return to Nigeria they bring with them an excellent education, strong connections with Canadians and Canada, and a desire to contribute to Nigeria’s growth and prosperity. Many of them, as I have discovered, are leaders in politics, business, and development.
As we celebrate one hundred and fifty years of Canada, we remind ourselves that it is today’s young people that will shape both the Canada and the Nigeria of the next fifty years.
Canada understands the importance of engaging youth not only on issues that affect them directly, but on all issues of national and global importance. In fact our Prime Minister, quite deliberately, chose to personally take on the role of Minister of youth to emphasize the priority his government attaches to it.
Young people represent a generation of true global citizens. This has been helped by a world that is networked and connected like never before, namely through the use of new technologies and social media.
The importance of youth is particularly pronounced in Nigeria, which has such a sizable population of young people.
I have been impressed in the early months of my tour in Nigeria with the ideas, energy, and vitality of young Nigerians. The desire to build a better world is evident and inspiring.
I would also like to take this opportunity to make special mention of International Women’s Day, which was yesterday, March 8th. Canada is a long-standing advocate for gender equality and the advancement of gender equality is a key component of our foreign policy.
Our international assistance is increasingly directed towards the empowerment of women and girls, including our development cooperation programming in Nigeria.
In fact, just yesterday Prime Minister Trudeau announced an investment of 650 million dollars to promote gender equality and empower women and girls by addressing gaps in sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Before I lead in a toast, there are a few thank you that I would like to say.
First, thank you to our sponsor CPCS, a Canadian company that supports public and private sector infrastructure development projects in Nigeria at both the Federal and State level, including on conventional and renewable energy projects, transportation and PPPs. We thank them for their generous support this evening.
I would also like to thank the High Commission of Canada staff who worked so hard to put this event together. Merci tout le monde.
I would also like to again thank the Abuja International Choir for doing such a great job on the anthems. I look forward to hearing them sing a few Canadian folk songs – en francais et en anglais – in a few moments.
Please raise your glasses.
I propose a toast to celebrate 150 years of Canada as well as the strong and enduring relationship that we enjoy with our host country of Nigeria. Long live Canada, Long live Nigeria, Long live Canada-Nigeria relations.
Thank you. Merci.
H.E. Christopher Thornley is the Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria. He gave these remarks at the Canada @ 150 celebration in Abuja, Nigeria, March 9, 2017.
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