The fourth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) opened Thursday with St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr. Terrance Drew, calling the low level of trade between Africa and the Caribbean a starting point for growth.
“…the trade between the Caribbean and Africa is roughly 1% or less. That is a very, very small percentage,” Drew told a panel of African leaders following the opening ceremony, which drew more than 3,000 delegates. “You might look at that and say, ‘Why is it important?’ When I look at a small number like that, I see hope. It is a silver lining. There’s only one place that trade can go. It cannot go down anymore. It is an opportunity to go up. Hence, we should establish this deeper relationship.”
Drew pointed to opportunities for African investment in emerging technology, agriculture, renewable energy, and tourism, stressing the absence of a direct air link between the two regions. “To go from the Caribbean to Africa, you have to go north to come back south, and it takes, sometimes, two to three days,” he said, adding that a direct St. Kitts–Algeria flight would be shorter than routing through London.
The prime minister also highlighted the Caribbean’s influence in the creative industries, sports, and healthcare, referencing reggae, the steel pan, and intellectual contributions to Pan-Africanism. “The Caribbean has always been a fundamental part of Pan Africanism,” he said, citing figures such as Marcus Garvey, George Padmore, and Bob Marley.
Drew, who is preparing to assume the six-month chairmanship of CARICOM, said his message to Africa is that the region is “much integrated, and we are much interested in bringing a greater relationship with Africa as the continent and its sixth region. This will help us to create opportunities for our people and to write a history… written by us, for us, for our own interest.”
He credited the Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) with helping to foster stronger Africa-Caribbean ties, including the Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum, most recently held in Grenada. He added that partnerships are already emerging in education, vocational training, and investment with countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ghana.
IATF2025, themed “From Trade Fairs to Economic Empowerment: An Evolutionary Story,” runs with participation from 30,000 visitors and buyers, as well as more than 52,000 exhibitors worldwide, according to Afreximbank President, Professor Benedict Oramah.
