Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Sunday, departed Abuja for Ottawa on the first high-level visit to Canada since 2000, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the North American nation.

Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, who disclosed this in a statement, said the visit would deepen diplomatic ties between Nigeria and Canada.

Mr Osinbajo will meet Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and other top parliamentarians and members of the Canadian government in Ottawa on Monday.

During the three-day visit, issues and events around educational collaboration, technology, the creative industry and climate justice, among others, will be discussed.

The vice president will give a public lecture on Wednesday at the Queen’s University in Kingston.

Established in 1841, Queen’s University is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive academic institutions and is famous for advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Mr Osinbajo will be received at the Ontario-based Carleton University, which has significant engagements and collaborations with some institutions in Nigeria, with ongoing efforts to deepen the mutual relationships around issues, including research and curriculum development.

Nigeria and Canada have, over the years, maintained cordial bilateral relations.

Nigeria is Canada’s largest trading partner in Africa, and both countries also have a Bi-National Commission, the only one of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.

While in Canada, the vice president will also meet with the leadership of the Nigerian community, including Nollywood and notable Canadian government officials of Nigerian origin.

He will also meet with representatives of the Canadian business community and investors, especially from the creative industry and technology sector.

Mr Osinbajo is expected back in Abuja later in the week.

(NAN)