EDC’s chief economist sees an opening for Canadian firms in West Africa’s infrastructure gap

In a February 19, 2026 commentary, Export Development Canada (EDC) Vice-President and Chief Economist Stuart Bergman made the case that West Africa — the coastal belt from Senegal to Nigeria — is one of the most dynamic drivers of growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, and that its infrastructure needs line up with long-established Canadian capabilities.

Demand driven by demography

Bergman notes that the region’s population of roughly 382 million is projected to exceed 460 million by 2036, an increase of more than 20%. Expanding cities will need reliable electricity, efficient transport, clean water and modern digital networks — investment that, he writes, few governments can sustain on their own.

Three priority sectors

• Transport and logistics: ports, road corridors and border systems straining under rising container, farm and mining volumes; upgrading docks and digitizing customs are recurring priorities.
• Energy: citing The Economist, Bergman notes that Nigeria produces less power than Wyoming and roughly 600 million Africans have no electricity; firms strong in grid stabilization, storage and smart-grid management are well positioned.
• Mining-linked infrastructure: Gulf of Guinea countries expanding bauxite, gold and critical-minerals output need roads, power, water and processing facilities.

Where the risk is lower

The commentary is candid about fiscal pressure, currency risk and political instability. It singles out Côte d’Ivoire — and, to a more limited extent, Senegal — for comparatively stronger bankability, citing clearer regulation, free capital movement and membership in the euro-pegged CFA franc zone. It also warns that Chinese state-backed contractors, Gulf logistics groups and Turkish builders often win major tenders on scale and speed.

Why it matters for the CACT community

Infrastructure contracts are rarely won by a single firm. For Canadian engineering, clean-energy and training companies, diaspora partners with networks in Abidjan, Dakar or Lagos can be the difference between watching a tender and teaming on it. Côte d’Ivoire’s bankability, flagged here by EDC, is also consistent with Ottawa’s August 2026 announcements there, covered elsewhere on this blog.