Canada GG to visit Africa next week

Payette

The Canada Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has announced that Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, will visit Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria from October 23 to 30, 2018.

The state visit is an opportunity for her to meet with national leaders and deepen Canada’s relationships with these three countries.

She’ll begin the visit in Burkina Faso where she’ll give an address at the National Assembly. She’ll also visit a school, where she will underscore the importance of inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all, and highlight how Canada and Burkina Faso are working together to build strong education systems. She will also meet with students of a scientific secondary school, as well as researchers, Canadian development workers, and Burkinabè artisans.

In Côte d’Ivoire, she will visit a Canadian-funded initiative, which helps cocoa farmers adapt to a changing climate and grow their incomes. She will also deliver remarks at a higher education institution specialized in engineering.

The visit will conclude in Nigeria, where she will take part in several science, technology, and cultural events. She will meet with young people to highlight the central role that science, technology, and innovation play in addressing the challenges we face as a world.

This will be the GG’s first visit to countries in Africa. The last GG to visit the continent was the Right Honourable David Johnston in 2013.