ABUJA, Nigeria, CMC — The appearing head of the Africa Export-Import Financial institution (Afreximbank) within the Caribbean, Okechukwu Ihejirika, says he stays assured that scheduled flights between Africa and the Caribbean area might quickly grow to be a actuality.
Afreximbank is encouraging Caribbean companies to showcase their items and companies on the 4th Intra-African Commerce Honest (IATF2025) in Algiers in September. Ihejirika, who’s the top of Afreximbank’s Barbados-based Caribbean workplace, said that the monetary establishment is exploring the potential for a direct flight between the Caribbean and Algiers for IATF2025.
He, nonetheless, stated that many Africans require a visa to journey by means of the USA or the UK, including that it’s simpler for a Caribbean nationwide to entry such a visa.
“So meaning it’s straightforward for them really to return,” Ihejirika informed journalists throughout Afreximbank’s thirty second annual conferences (AAM2025) happening right here by means of Saturday.
IATF2025 is pitched as a novel and priceless platform for companies to entry an built-in African market of over 1.4 billion individuals with a gross home product (GDP) of over US$3.5 trillion, created underneath the African Continental Free Commerce Space.
Ihejirika stated that Afreimbank would arrange a direct flight between the Caribbean and Algiers as soon as there’s demand, additionally noting {that a} dialog about commerce encompasses items and the motion of individuals, which incorporates flights.
“It’s a captivating matter. And what we see of late is extra airways now making an attempt to speak about that chance and coming to us as properly to inform us they’re ,” Ihejirika informed reporters, including that such conversations weren’t happening 4 or 5 years in the past.
“So, these conversations are on the desk, and often when issues are mentioned on the desk, the subsequent factor that follows is the answer,” Ihejirika stated.
“So, I’m very optimistic that considered one of them, in no distant time, ought to have a scheduled, common flight between Africa and the Caribbean as a primary step. As a result of with the motion of individuals by way of that flight may even come motion of products.”
He was assured that when this idea was confirmed viable, individuals would strategy Afreximbank for financing.
“… then we additionally see individuals who will come to us as properly with curiosity on the maritime aspect, which, in fact, we’d blissful to help to see items transfer freely, instantly, by means of that quick hub throughout the Atlantic to get items throughout the Caribbean with out having to transit anyplace else,” Ihejirika stated.
Talking on the opening day of AAM2025 on Wednesday, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Dr. Terrance Drew famous that one of many largest plane to land in his twin island Federation was the Air Peace direct flight from Ghana to Basseterre on June 12.
Air Peace, West, and Central Africa’s largest airline made a historic continuous 10-hour flight from Nigeria to St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Boeing 777 plane introduced delegates to the five-day Afri-Caribbean Enterprise Expo (ACBE) in Basseterre, marking the primary time a Nigerian provider had landed in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The convention was curated by Aquarian Seek the advice of, a administration consulting and human capital growth agency based mostly within the space.
Drew famous that whereas the flight was a constitution, Afreximbank was the catalyst, including that the flight demonstrated “how we are able to enhance commerce between the Caribbean and Africa.
“So although it was catalyzed and began by the Afreximbank, you may see it’s already prolonged past their Afreximbank. For this was an initiative between (Aquarian Seek the advice of]), in fact, the Minister of Tradition and small enterprise in St. Kitts and Nevis,” Drew stated.
For IATF2025, AFreximbank has put aside a day for CARICOM, dubbed the diaspora day, “the place we’ve all of the diasporas coming to showcase what they’ve.
“And I believe that’s the entire essence of that dialog,” he stated, acknowledging that earlier editions of the truthful centered on Africa solely.
“… however what we at the moment are making an attempt to do is to create an even bigger Africa-Caribbean market, the place it’s not Africa showcasing, but it surely’s additionally Caribbean coming in to say, ‘That is who we’re. That is what we’ve to supply to the desk.’”
He stated that collectively, Africa and the Caribbean represent a considerably bigger market.
“And the great factor is that after Africa is within the (room) and the Caribbean is available in, it’s a case of demand meet provide, and everyone, we’ve that imaginative and prescient to create an even bigger market, which is one thing that we’ve all dreamed about,” Ihejirika stated.
“So considerably, the AITF is enjoying that position, and we hope to see much more Caribbean participation from the final version, once we had that in Egypt, you recognize as a result of I see lots of constructive curiosity, I’ll say, in that space, and I hope that resonates much more.”
Afreximbank can be making ready to host the Fourth Annual AfriCaribbean Commerce and Funding Discussion board (ACTIF2025) from July 28 – 29 in St. George’s, Grenada.
“ACTIF, for us, is our convening. Is a spot the place we leverage on our convening energy to herald the who’s who in enterprise in Africa and the Caribbean, and it’s so simple as that,” Ihejirika stated.
“… what we realized is that we are attempting to handle one tough drawback, which is the issue of commerce, boosting worldwide commerce between Africa and the Caribbean,” Ihejirika stated, including that earlier than ACTIF, there was no single place the place companies, policymakers, and different decision-makers would sit in the identical place to debate the problem.
“So ACTIF has supplied that platform and is working quickly,” he stated, including that the earlier editions in Barbados, Guyana, and The Bahamas had been “enormous successes” with a collective attendance of over 6,000 individuals in attendance, and offers price over US$202 billion signed.
“That’s a daring assertion. So what we at the moment are doing is to leverage on that success for the subsequent version,” he added.
