Transport, energy and mining are priority infrastructure investment sectors
Sector demand is diverse and expanding. In transport and logistics, West African ports, road corridors and border systems are racing to accommodate rising container volumes and expanding agricultural and mining flows. Upgrading docks, digitizing customs, modernizing yards and improving cross-border channels are recurring priorities.
The same applies to energy, where shortages continue to constrain growth. The Economist recently noted that Nigeria produces less power than Wyoming and roughly 600 million Africans have no electricity at all—an enormous drag on productivity. Canadian firms with strengths in grid stabilization, storage and smart-grid management are well positioned to play a substantive role in advancing these efforts.
Mining‑linked infrastructure is another area of opportunity. Countries along the Gulf of Guinea continue to expand production of bauxite, gold and critical minerals. That upstream expansion requires roads, power, water systems and processing facilities. As global demand for critical minerals deepens, engineering and consulting firms capable of delivering integrated infrastructure packages stand to benefit.
Canadian firms can compete through trusted delivery and long‑term performance
In a marketplace where some competitors win on speed or sheer scale, Canada’s value proposition is reliability, quality and inclusive development. To compete, Canadian companies must fully leverage the qualities that differentiate them: Superior execution, transparent delivery, robust lifecycle performance and trusted governance. These strengths matter even more now, as regional development banks, multilateral lenders and private sponsors demand predictable risk management, strong environmental and social standards, lifecycle-strong infrastructure and projects that generate lasting economic and social benefits for local populations.
But these opportunities also come with widely recognized challenges. Across West Africa, fiscal pressures, currency risk and political instability continue to be an issue. For firms, these factors can complicate due diligence, timelines and commercial arrangements. Yet within this landscape, countries such as Côte d’Ivoire—and, to a more limited extent, Senegal—continue to offer comparatively stronger bankability, supported by clearer regulatory environments, free capital movement, monetary stability and better payment experience. Their membership in the CFA franc zone (pegged to the euro) provides a stable, low-inflation environment that reduces currency risks and facilitates smoother financial transactions—conditions that make projects more attractive.
Additionally, while Canadian engineering, consulting and clean‑energy firms enjoy a strong global reputation, they may also face formidable competition in the region. Chinese government‑backed contractors, Gulf state logistics groups and agile Turkish builders often enter markets with scale, speed and local networks that help them win major tenders. Across the region, a handful of African contractors can take on major national projects, but the largest construction firms operating in West Africa are still mostly foreign‑owned, especially Chinese. As a result, only a limited number of truly domestic firms can compete for the region’s biggest projects.
The bottom line: How Canada’s engineering strength can unlock West Africa’s infrastructure expansion
West Africa’s infrastructure needs are expanding across transport, power, urban services and resource‑linked projects. Canada doesn’t need to match the scale, or spending power of larger incumbents. It needs to compete where it excels: Trusted engineering, transparent delivery and performance that endures. That’s how Canadian firms can turn today’s emerging projects pipeline into durable, repeatable wins.
This week, a very special thanks to Gabriel Vermette, senior country risk associate for Sub-Saharan Africa, and Jean-François Côté, senior micro data analyst.
As always, at EDC Economics, we value your feedback. If you have ideas for topics that you’d like us to explore, please email us at economics@edc.ca and we’ll do our best to cover them.
