For the first time in its history, Canada has unveiled a comprehensive Africa strategy, marking a significant milestone in the Canadian approach to engaging with the African continent.

Launched on March 6 by Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister, the strategy represents a crucial step towards a more coherent and intentional relationship with Africa.

This development is worthy of praise for several reasons.

First, it demonstrates Canada's recognition of Africa's growing importance on the global stage. It acknowledges the need for Canada to work closely with African states and organizations in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the G20 and the Francophonie.

It also positions Canada not only as a partner in enhancing Africa's voice in global affairs, but also as an ally in advancing the Canadian government's strategic interests abroad.

The strategy's development process was remarkably inclusive, with more than 600 stakeholder submissions. This consultative approach not only ensured a diverse range of perspectives, but also promotes accountability in the strategy's implementation.

Finally, the initiative's broad scope is commendable. By intentionally crafting the strategy to encompass a wide array of African partners - from the African Union to diaspora groups in Canada - the government has created a framework that allows various African nations and organizations to see themselves reflected in the partnership.

However, as with any significant policy development, there are areas for improvement and questions to be addressed. These include:

Resource allocation: While the strategy sets ambitious goals, it's unclear how these will be achieved without new funding.

Although the argument can be made that the government has the option to reconfigure existing funding to align with broader policy shifts, that would leave major gaps in current development programming. The government must provide more specific details about funding and, just as importantly, metrics for implementation.

Competitive landscape: The strategy doesn't fully acknowledge Canada's current position in Africa. While it identifies increased competition from familiar players like China, the European Union and Russia, as well as a growing array of competitors like Brazil, Turkey and the Gulf states, it doesn't confront the degree to which, relatively speaking, Canada has lost ground.

This needs to be acknowledged alongside Canada's residual reputational strength, rooted in a history of supporting democratic transitions for African nations - particularly during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, but also during numerous peacekeeping engagements.

Read more: Brian Mulroney's tough stand against apartheid is one of his most important legacies

Investments in developmental projects related to education and health in Africa have led to Canada garnering a reputation as a constructive and responsive collaborator on African issues. That said, Canada's reputation in terms of mining and other extractive activities on the continent is an unhelpful counterpoint.

Canada must strongly position itself as a state that can be trusted to champion African issues while forging partnerships based on mutual interest and respect in the fast-changing global competitive environment.

Innovation and education: Despite the strategy's mention of engaging youth and diaspora communities, it's unclear on how to do this. A crucial way to connect with youth in particular is to enhance education connections and expand the links between universities and science and technological innovation institutions in Canada and African states.

Dual degrees, funded collaborative research projects, student exchanges and scholarships are all tried-and-tested mechanisms to foster cross-cultural understandings that bind societies together.

A sustainable Canada-Africa strategy must see educational and scientific partnerships, training and knowledge circulation as cornerstones for success.

It would be a missed opportunity if the government fails to use this blueprint to leverage Canada's extensive educational and scientific assets to generate innovative ideas that support the strategy's implementation. This approach could also create opportunities for Canadian and African youth to build a strong foundation for a lasting and meaningful Canada-Africa relationship in the future.

Read more: Why international students could be a critical factor in bolstering Canada's economic resilience

Ethical considerations: The strategy doesn't adequately address issues related to the mining sector and the need for more ethical practices.

Given Canada is touted as a mining superpower in Africa, a clear commitment to supporting human rights-centred and community development-oriented mining practices would go a long way to sustaining Canada's interest in the extractive sector in Africa. This would also enhance its overall reputation on the continent.

Furthermore, the ethics of Canada's immigration regime and the often punitive approach to giving out temporary visas to African travellers is starkly missing from the strategy.

It's critical in terms of Canada's future engagements and relations with African nations to recognize the current system is broken and considered overly intrusive by Africans. If Canada is serious about learning from Africa and forming equitable partnerships based on mutual respect, it cannot mete out indignities at the border.

High-level commitment: The launch of the strategy by a parliamentary secretary, rather than the foreign affairs minister or the prime minister, raises questions about the perceived importance of this strategy at the highest levels of government.

The launch was diplomatically underwhelming, with no invitations extended to the Canadian media or the African diplomatic community in Canada. This created the impression that the government was either already distancing itself from the strategy, or was anxious to manage expectations.

Given that the launch of the strategy coincided with the Independence day of Ghana, one of the first African countries that Canada established official diplomatic relations with, the Canadian government should have seized on this historic moment to send a strong diplomatic message to the African continent.

Despite these concerns, the Africa strategy represents a significant and promising starting point.

It provides a coherent, multidimensional and multi-purpose framework for Canada's engagement with Africa. It synthesizes ongoing initiatives, sets intentions for future collaborations and seeks to move beyond paternalistic motivations to build an enhanced Canada-Africa relationship based on trust and respect.

The strategy is realistic not only about Canada's own limitations and needs, but also about the complexities of building partnerships with a large and diverse continent. It highlights humanitarian and security priorities while also emphasizing economic and political opportunities in Africa. The combination of humanitarian concerns with strategic interests signals a shift toward a more balanced and consistent approach towards the continent.

Read more: Why Canada must seize the moment and launch its long-awaited Africa strategy

As we move forward, the Canadian government must address the strategy's shortcomings and provide more concrete plans for its implementation.

Nonetheless, this moment deserves recognition. Canada has taken an important first step towards a more strategic, intentional and mutually beneficial relationship with Africa. It's now up to policymakers, businesses, the academic community and civil society to build upon this foundation and turn this strategy into tangible, positive outcomes for both Canada and its African partners.