Prime Minister Holness Calls for Strategic Afro-Caribbean Partnership to Unlock Shared Prosperity
Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness has urged bold and pragmatic action to transform the historic bonds between Africa and the Caribbean into enduring economic partnerships.
Addressing a high-level Afro-Caribbean side event which the Prime Minister declared open on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) under the theme “From Shared Roots to a Shared Future: Africa and the Caribbean Unite”, Dr. Holness outlined a compelling vision for deepened trade, cultural exchange, and youth-centred development.
Prime Minister Holness stated: “We are united not only by a common past, but by a future rich in opportunity…Let us leave this symposium not just inspired but mobilized. Let us move from shared history to shared prosperity, from goodwill to strategic action, and from symbolism to sustained economic and cultural bridges. Let us forge joint ventures between Africa and the Caribbean companies, expand scholarship programmes for our students to study in each other’s institutions, and connect our creative industries, our fintech entrepreneurs, and our agribusiness pioneers.”
The Prime Minister emphasized that while cultural and ancestral ties remain powerful, they must now be matched with modern, scalable frameworks for trade and investment. Noting that CARICOM’s trade with Africa remains under 1% of its total global trade, Dr. Holness pointed to the immense opportunity that remains untapped.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Holness highlighted Jamaica’s leadership in this effort, including its recent accession to the Partnership Agreement between CARICOM and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) preceding the event.
The Prime Minister said, “The bank [Afreximbank] has already committed over US$1.5 billion in funding to support trade and investment between our regions through the proposed Caribbean-Africa Trade and Investment Forum. The bank is also involved in numerous other initiatives in the region aimed at concretising Caribbean-Africa relations.”
Regarding improving linkages in tourism, the creative industries, and youth-driven enterprise, Prime Minister Holness advocated for direct air connectivity, expanded student exchanges, and collaborative cultural programmes designed not only to honour shared heritage, but also to create meaningful employment and build inclusive economic opportunity.
“Our people want to rediscover each other, and we must enable that journey. By establishing bilateral air services agreements, recognizing each other’s travel documents, and implementing diaspora-friendly visa policies, we can convert our shared heritage and travel connections into a driver of sustainable economic growth,” said Prime Minister Holness.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister commended Afreximbank, Jamaica National Bank, and NTT Global Destinations for their collaborative efforts and commitment to strengthening the framework for Afro-Caribbean partnerships at multiple levels.