April 15, 2026 — The 4th edition of Canadian Week, held on April 14 in Kinshasa at the Legacy House Club, stands as a pivotal moment in the evolution of economic relations between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Canada. Organized under the theme “Innovation, sustainability and inclusion: co-building between the DRC and Canada,” this gathering crystallized the ambitions of a partnership currently undergoing a profound redefinition.
Designed as a platform of economic influence, the initiative brought together public decision-makers, investors, private sector operators, and institutional partners around a common objective: to structure a more competitive bilateral cooperation focused on value creation and investment attractiveness, in a global context where ecological imperatives are reshaping growth models.
Discussions highlighted high-potential sectors for transformation—mining, agriculture, renewable energy, and digital technology—while emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen a more transparent, stable, and investment-friendly business environment. In this dynamic, public-private partnerships emerged as key drivers to accelerate industrialization, improve productivity, and foster the creation of sustainable jobs.
The event also showcased Canadian expertise in economic governance, human capital development, and technological innovation—essential pillars to support the structural transition of the Congolese economy toward a more resilient and inclusive model.
In his address, Fabrice Ntompa stressed the imperative for the DRC to undertake a strategic repositioning based on transforming its comparative advantages into competitive advantages. He called for expanded cooperation fully integrating investment issues, skills transfer, and the development of local value chains.
In the same perspective, Mr. Nico, advisor at the Ministry of National Economy, placed the discussions within a demanding macroeconomic context. He recalled that bilateral trade, estimated at $190 million in 2023, fell to $68 million in 2025, revealing an urgent need for revitalization.
In this regard, three structural priorities were emphasized: transforming economic potential into a competitive productive system, anchoring effective economic inclusion as a foundation of stability, and strengthening policy coherence to improve the country’s international visibility.
Following these interventions, a series of speeches brought together key actors from the private, public, and banking sectors. They shared experiences, identified operational constraints, and proposed concrete solutions to improve the business climate, facilitate access to financing, and strengthen trust between economic partners. These exchanges added a pragmatic dimension to the event, grounding ambitions in real-world challenges.
At the intersection of economics and ecology, Canadian Week thus establishes itself as a strategic tool of economic diplomacy, promoting a renewed vision: a partnership capable of combining economic performance, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion. Ultimately, in Kinshasa, a strong message was sent—expressing a shared will to co-build a greener, more competitive, and decisively inclusive economic future between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Canada.
By Asani Musungay