8 August 2025
The fourth AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2025), held from 28-29 July, marked a milestone in Africa-Caribbean economic relations, with over US$290mn in agreements signed across sectors such as infrastructure, education, tourism, and trade.
Under the theme “Resilience and Transformation: Enhancing Africa-Caribbean Economic Cooperation in an Era of Global Uncertainty,” the Forum drew over 1,700 delegates from more than 80 countries, including eleven Heads of State and Government from Africa and the Caribbean.
“In under four years, we’ve ratified the Partnership Agreement in 11 CARICOM countries, providing the Bank a solid legal foundation to operate, support, and invest in their economies,” said Benedict Oramah, outgoing President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
This milestone reflects a “sovereign declaration, that the CARICOM States see in Africa, not just its past, but also its future,” he added.
Among Afreximbank’s flagship initiatives is the US$250mn Growth, Resilience, and Sustainability Fund (GRSF), a blended finance mechanism to support climate adaptation and sustainable development across CARICOM. Managed by Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) in collaboration with the CARICOM Development Fund, the GRSF exemplifies the forward-thinking approach to tackling climate challenges shared by both regions.
Among the landmark agreements signed were a US$100mn loan agreement with Bahamas Striping Group of Companies, aimed at rehabilitating over 200 miles of road infrastructure across The Bahamas and expanding the company’s reach into other Caribbean markets. Senior Vice President Dominic Sturrup called the deal “a great day” and lauded Afreximbank’s commitment to local development.
A US$50mn Education Construction and Rehabilitation Climate-Linked Facility between Afreximbank and the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis, designed to finance climate-resilient social infrastructure was aslo signed. Prime Minister Terrance Drew described the deal as “more than financing, it represents our vision for a stronger, more resilient Saint Kitts and Nevis.” There was also a US$40mn public-private partnership with Gemini Integrated Commodities Trading Company Ltd. to develop a modern commercial port in St Kitts.
The Bank signed a US$40mn facility to Cat Island Infrastructure Company Ltd. in The Bahamas for critical roadworks and a US$61.25mn agreement with Speedbird House Ltd. to finance a 150-room Homewood Suites by Hilton in Bridgetown, Barbados, under Afreximbank’s tourism-linked financing initiative, CONTOUR.
Additionally, the Forum saw the launch of the Caribbean Payment & Settlement System (CAPSS), modeled on Africa’s Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS). CAPSS will enable real-time cross-border payments in local currencies, drastically reducing transaction costs and fostering deeper economic connectivity. A proposed CAPSS Card aims to further facilitate seamless regional transactions.
Creative and cultural industries also received a boost, with US$24mn committed to a film production and training hub in the Eastern Caribbea through CANEX. Other investments have empowered designers and chefs from Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Barbados to showcase their talents globally. Complementing this cultural renaissance, Afreximbank announced the launch of an Artificial Intelligence and generative technology hub in partnership with the P.J. Patterson Institute at the University of the West Indies, aiming to position Afro-Caribbean talent at the forefront of global innovation.
The Forum also featured a historic Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce, marking a new chapter of private sector-led regional economic cooperation.
ACTIF2025 underscored the importance of overcoming barriers such as visa restrictions and inadequate air and sea connectivity, which currently hamper Africa-Caribbean trade and cultural exchanges. Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell highlighted these challenges, urging investment in financial, trading, and air and sea shipping links “to create the kind of wealth, the kind of opportunity, and the kind of dignity and pride that global Africans deserve.”
Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda echoed calls for a reorientation of trade practices. “There are three major petroleum storage facilities within the Caribbean — one in Trinidad & Tobago, one in Jamaica, and another Antigua and Barbuda. But we’ve been buying extra-regionally and we have not patronised Africa,” said Browne, advocating for the Caribbean to purchase petroleum products directly from Africa.
This shared resolve to move beyond rhetoric toward measurable results was captured in the Forum’s communiqué, which committed to supporting an Africa–Caribbean Free Trade Arrangement, eliminating trade barriers, and fostering deeper cooperation in key sectors. Leaders pledged to accelerate infrastructure development, support SMEs and youth-led enterprises, and strengthen private sector linkages through the AfriCaribbean Business Council.
ACTIF2025 signals a potential bold new era of Africa-Caribbean partnership, built on shared heritage, mutual respect, and economic solidarity. What stands in the way is commitment and execution. As Prime Minister Mitchell concluded, “No one is going to save Global Africa but Global Africa itself.”
Source: Caribbean Insight – 8 August 2025 Volume 47, Issue 16