St Kitts and Nevis Stand to Benefit from Cooperation with Africa

Africa and the Caribbean have been intertwined in a complicated history, but in the wake on this years inaugural Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit (ACIS), the regions are looking beyond their past into a bright and positive future.

ACIS, which took place in Nigeria, was attended by policymakers, investors, and business leaders to strengthen economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean. The theme was: “Bridging Continents: Africa and the Caribbean: A Partnership for Prosperity” and had a heavy focus on investments in agriculture and energy.

Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, was the keynote speaker at the Opening Ceremony and he highlighted the progress the Federation is making on development projects, particularly the geothermal project. He noted that smaller islands should take courage from what St Kitts and Nevis has managed to achieve; encouraging long-term foreign investment to invest in the country’s energy independence.

He was joined by Premier of Nevis, Mark Brantley, who said that the geothermal project will be a sustainable model aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

What is encouraging however, is that this marks a more significant cornerstone in the relationship between the two regions. The Caribbean has long been able to attract foreign investment through its Citizenship By Investment Programmes and Africa can learn a lot from how these programmes have developed the Caribbean economy.

But the Caribbean too, is sensible to take advantage of the more 1.5 billion people who live across the 55 countries in Africa. There are great opportunities for collaboration and growth across many sectors and this summit marks the beginning of a prosperous and burgeoning partnership between the two regions.