FAQs

How did this Fund benefit Africans?
What was new and innovative about this program?
Were these funds new and additional money?
Why did the Canada Fund for Africa seek an eighteen-month extension until September 30, 2008?
What will happen to the initiatives now that the Canada Fund for Africa is closed?
How were the Fund initiatives selected?
Why did a significant portion of the Fund support economic growth through trade and investment when CIDA's mandate aims to reduce poverty and contribute to a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world?
What is the African Peer Review Mechanism?
What is the role of civil society in NEPAD?
What did the Canada Fund for Africa do to support greater involvement of Africans and African civil society in NEPAD?
How is Canada following up on the G8 commitments to Africa?
What has been the Canada Fund for Africa's contribution to Gender Equality?
How do you know if the Fund made a difference?
How is the Fund managed?
Is the Canada Investment Fund for Africa (CIFA) operational, and how can I access it?
How can I learn more about the Canada Fund for Africa?

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How did this Fund benefit Africans?

The Fund addressed issues that Africans identified as crucial to their own development. The initiatives supported by the Fund contributed to the achievement of results that are directly related to improving the lives of Africans such as better management of water resources, improved peace and security, effective disease control (particularly for HIV/AIDS and polio), improved democracy and governance, and greater respect for human rights.

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What was new and innovative about this program?

The Canada Fund for Africa was a response to the first made-in-Africa vision for development, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and the corresponding priorities of the G8 Africa Action Plan. Canada was the first G8 country to establish a fund specifically designed for these purposes. The Canada Fund for Africa initiatives were large-scale programs which were regional in scope, complimenting ongoing CIDA programming in Africa.

Innovative initiatives included:

• Support for Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa (BECA), a new centre of excellence in bioscience that is a focal point for scientific research by Africans;
• The Canada Investment Fund for Africa (CIFA), a private-public partnership that provides risk capital for private investments in Africa that generate growth; and
• Connectivity Africa through which doctors and health care workers are able to access critical information through wireless servers in remote community centres.

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Were these funds new and additional money?

The $500 million was part of the additional funding for development assistance committed by the Government of Canada and confirmed in the Federal Budgets for 2003 and 2004.

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Why did the Canada Fund for Africa seek an eighteen-month extension until September 30, 2008?

The Canada Fund for Africa was launched in 2002 with a five-year life span, which was expected to end on March 31, 2007. However, due to the innovative nature of many of the Fund's 33 initiatives, and the new partnerships needed to implement them, it was determined that more time would be required for them to achieve their expected results. In May of 2006, the Minister of International Cooperation at the time, approved an 18-month extension, within the current budget, to enable projects supported by the Fund to complete their planned activities and achieve sustainable results by March 31, 2008. An additional six months will permit the Canada Fund for Africa Secretariat to complete the administrative work related to closing the Fund, such as processing of payments and reporting on results.

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What will happen to the initiatives now that the Canada Fund for Africa is closed?

The Fund was created to play a catalyst role in leveraging additional resources from other donors. While some of the Fund's initiatives will be terminated at the end of their project cycle, others will either continue to be funded through ongoing CIDA programs (for example, support to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research will continue via CIDA's Multilateral program), or will be supported by the donor community. A number of the Fund's initiatives have also been evaluated and lessons learned are being incorporated into new programs with funding from other programs at CIDA and other government departments. For example, the Department of Foreign Affairs is preparing to fund new projects modelled on the West Africa Police Project and on the Support for Capacity Development Project with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. In the case of the Canada Investment Fund for Africa (CIFA), which will end in 2013/2014, the project will continue to be managed by CIDA's Pan-Africa program. The results and lessons learned from all of the Canada Fund for Africa initiatives will continue to inform CIDA policies and programs long after the close of the Fund.

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How were the Fund initiatives selected?

Initiatives announced by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien at Kananaskis were selected according to the following criteria: i) directly responsive to the priorities of NEPAD and the G8 Africa Action Plan; ii) strongly anchored in African leadership and partnership; and iii) strategic in nature (i.e. programs that have long-term benefits).

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Why did a significant portion of the Fund support economic growth through trade and investment when CIDA's mandate aims to reduce poverty and contribute to a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world?

Experience has shown that economic growth is a fundamental prerequisite for reducing poverty in the developing world, and there is overwhelming evidence that economic growth will not take place in the absence of expanded trade. Economic initiatives account for 24 percent of Canada Fund for Africa activities, and are in response to NEPAD priorities set out by Africans. As Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade said: "Trade is the engine of development and only one percent of trade is getting to Africa . . . .we are not expecting a pot of gold but partnership and investment."

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What is the African Peer Review Mechanism?

The African Peer Review is a voluntary process of self-assessment whereby countries identify and apply best practices in political and economic governance. Canada, through the Canada Fund for Africa, was the first donor to financially support the African Peer Review Mechanism. As of June 2008, 28 African countries have signed on to be peer evaluated. Canada believes that this African-led peer review is essential to building and maintaining strong, enduring, and effective relationships with development partners as well as strengthening governance throughout Africa. Africans developed the process and are leading it. The results of its review process will inform Canadian policies.

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What is the role of civil society in NEPAD?

NEPAD offers a broad vision of development that paves the way for greater involvement of civil society in the development process. African governments, for their part, have stated clearly that, "the New Partnership for Africa's Development will be successful only if it is owned by African peoples united in their diversity."

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What did the Canada Fund for Africa do to support greater involvement of Africans and African civil society in NEPAD?

A number of initiatives of the Canada Fund for Africa actively promoted the involvement of civil society in the governance and development process; for instance, the Local Governance Program reached out to civil society in the planning and delivery of public services to communities, such as water and health.

The NEPAD Outreach Fund was a responsive fund that provided support to African civil society organizations, as well as the private and public sectors, for initiatives that increased African awareness of, support for and involvement in the implementation of NEPAD principles and objectives. As of the close of the NEPAD Outreach Fund in March 2008, 52 projects from 18 different countries had received support.

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How is Canada following up on the G8 commitments to Africa?

Canada is committed to continue to work with G8 and African partners to make progress in fighting HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria; build African capacity to address peace and security challenges; and to support African-led initiatives on economic development and governance reform.

Canada is on track to meet its commitment to double assistance to Africa from 2003/2004 levels to $2.1 billion in 2008/2009. Since February 2006, Canada has made significant Africa-specific commitments, including:

• $450 million between 2006 and 2016 to support country-led efforts to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes in Africa;
• An increase from $100 million to $150 million in annual funding for basic education in Africa;
• $230 million to support an Advanced Market Commitments project to develop a vaccine for pneumococcal disease;
• $250 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), $150 million of which will be focused on Africa;
• $45 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, $22.5 million of which will be focused on Africa.

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What has been the Canada Fund for Africa's contribution to Gender Equality?

Both the NEPAD and the G8 Africa Action Plan state the need for African leaders to promote the role of women in social and economic development, and call for ensuring women's participation in political and economic life. All the Canada Fund for Africa programs have made efforts to integrate gender equality into program planning and implementation and several have achieved encouraging results in this regard. For example, Access! for African Businesswomen in International Trade is a component of the Program for Building African Capacity for Trade (PACT) that provides training opportunities for African women entrepreneurs. In recognition of the program's achievements in supporting sustainable economic growth among primarily women-owned businesses in developing countries, Access! for African Businesswomen in International Trade won the Canadian Award for International Cooperation in the Gender Equality category in 2006.

In Niger, the Africa-Canada Parliamentary Strengthening Program supported training for women candidates, a forum with civil society groups on gender issues, and production of a "Women Candidate's Guide" for the December 2005 elections. A committee was formed to monitor the implementation of the quota law and raise public awareness about it. Thanks in part to their efforts, the women's quota was respected and 14 women were elected (compared to only one in the last elections), six of whom were named Ministers.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, gender sensitivity training provided by the War-Affected Youth Project Project has raised awareness of the rights of girls to education, which led to a 33 percent increase in girls' enrolment in targeted communities.

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How do you know if the Fund made a difference?

We set objectives and measured and monitored our results. Specific objectives and expected results were formulated at an early stage for each initiative of the Fund. Performance measurement, conducted with our African partners, was done throughout the implementation stage to ensure that results were achieved and corrective measures taken if necessary.

Please see Focus on the Future - The Legacy of the Canada Fund for Africa for more information about the results and the legacy of the Canada Fund for Africa.

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How is the Fund managed?

The Canada Fund for Africa Secretariat operates within CIDA, and manages the Fund's programs. The Secretariat works with African, Canadian, and international partners, as well as other branches and divisions within CIDA and other Canadian government departments, in the design, implementation, and monitoring of the programs.

Funds are the subject of regular financial reporting by partners and are audited according to the recognized standards. Every year, the Canada Fund for Africa Secretariat reports on its progress as part of Canada's Annual Report to the G8 on the Africa Action Plan, and reports to Parliament in CIDA's Annual Departmental Performance Report.

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Is the Canada Investment Fund for Africa (CIFA) operational, and how can I access it?

As of June 30, 2007, the CIFA is fully operational with a total subscribed capital of US$211 million. The CIFA is a joint public-private sector fund designed to provide risk capital for private investments in Africa that generate growth. The Canada Fund for Africa contributed $100 million and the remainder was raised from private sector partners. The CIFA, jointly managed by Actis (London, UK) and Cordiant (Montreal, Canada), operates in a commercially viable manner and demonstrates good corporate social responsibility practices in all its operations.

The CIFA is fully capitalized at $262 million, of which 80 percent has been invested in the mining, oil and gas, paper, manufacturing, consumer products and financial services sectors. These investments are leading to job creation, increased income, and improved local community infrastructure and services in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

For information about how to access the CIFA funds, please direct all inquiries to CIFA.

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How can I learn more about the Canada Fund for Africa?

You can visit our website

You can contact the Canada Fund for Africa Secretariat.

Telephone: 819-934-1156
Fax: 819-953-5845

Mailing address:
Canada Fund for Africa Secretariat
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
200 Promenade du Portage,
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0G4
Canada