The African Export-Import Bank has intensified its engagement with Jamaica, hosting its first-ever roadshow in the country as part of efforts to strengthen trade, investment, and industrial cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean.
The June 2 event, held under the theme “Empowering Jamaica’s Growth: Catalysing Trade, Investment and Industrialisation through Tailored Afreximbank Solutions,” comes less than a year after Jamaica signed a partnership agreement with the Cairo-based financial institution. It also follows the bank’s approval of a US$5 billion financing facility for Caribbean nations, including Jamaica.
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The roadshow brought together government officials, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and financial institutions to explore opportunities for financing, investment, and economic collaboration available through Afreximbank. The initiative served both as an introduction to the bank’s trade finance, investment, and advisory services and as a platform for gathering insights into Jamaica’s development priorities and financing needs.
Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Fayval Williams, welcomed the growing partnership, noting that the relationship between Jamaica and Afreximbank continues to deepen as the institution expands its footprint across the Caribbean.
“It is clear that the partnership between Afreximbank and Jamaica continues to strengthen,” Williams said, encouraging local businesses and institutions to take advantage of opportunities that could enhance commercial ties between Jamaica and Africa.
Afreximbank’s Group Managing Director for Client Relations and Regional Office Operations, Eric Monchu Intong, emphasized that industrialization remains central to the bank’s development strategy.
“To trade successfully with Global Africa, we must first produce,” Intong said, highlighting investments in industrial parks, special economic zones, manufacturing, and value-added production as critical areas for Jamaica’s future growth.
He argued that expanding local production capacity would help reduce import dependence, increase exports, generate employment, and strengthen Jamaica’s competitiveness in international markets.
According to Afreximbank, the roadshow provided valuable insights into Jamaica’s business environment and investment landscape, information that will help the institution develop financing solutions tailored to the country’s economic priorities.
The bank reaffirmed its commitment to supporting stronger Africa-Caribbean economic integration through greater access to trade finance, investment capital, and advisory services, positioning Jamaica as a key partner in expanding commercial links between the Caribbean and the African continent.
