Nassau, Bahamas — Former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has issued a bold call for a transformative economic alliance between Africa and the Caribbean, urging the regions to unite in what he described as “Global Africa’s” journey toward shared prosperity and global influence.
Delivering the keynote address at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Patterson addressed an audience that included African heads of state, Caribbean leaders, and international development partners. His message was clear: the time has come to convert centuries of shared history into a powerful, modern economic bloc.
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“We are now separated by the Atlantic Ocean, but we should never forget that in the age of Gondwana, we were all part of a single supercontinent,” Patterson said, invoking the geological history that once physically connected Africa and the Caribbean. “That geological rupture gave us both the richly endowed continent of Africa and the bejeweled fragments that are the Caribbean Islands.”
Patterson stressed the urgency of deepening Africa-Caribbean cooperation, particularly in the face of rising global protectionism and shifting international power dynamics. Current trade between the regions stands at approximately US$729 million, but projections by the International Trade Centre and Afreximbank suggest this figure could grow to US$1.8 billion by 2028 through strategic investment and collaboration.
“The global order that has existed since the Second World War is imploding before our eyes,” Patterson warned. “Protectionist forces are increasingly intolerant of the aspirations of the Global South. For our survival and prosperity, we must act with urgency to strengthen our regional ties.”
The former prime minister applauded Afreximbank’s Caribbean Initiative, which has already committed US$2.5 billion in project pipelines and US$1.5 billion in investment opportunities across both regions. He also commended the establishment of the African Trade Centre in Bridgetown, Barbados, as a tangible sign of growing partnership.
Patterson highlighted the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation in bridging the Atlantic divide, announcing a joint pilot project between Afreximbank and the University of the West Indies’ Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy to develop an AI hub that will drive collaboration in education, research, trade, and innovation.
“We who belong to Global Africa must develop AI of our own to deepen our economic and cultural linkages,” Patterson said. “Our regions are leaders in creative and cultural industries. AI can create the digital infrastructure that transforms innovation and creativity into tangible economic value.”
Drawing on his extensive diplomatic career, including his role in shaping the Lomé Convention and his time as President of the UN Security Council, Patterson called for unified Africa-Caribbean positions in major international forums.
“We must not allow ourselves to be divided or disregarded at the WTO, in the IMF, at the United Nations, or especially during climate negotiations,” he urged. “We must develop a common diplomatic architecture, coordinate our messaging, and resist efforts to dilute our agendas.”
For Patterson, the path to economic transformation is inseparable from cultural pride and historical consciousness.
“Our economic emancipation cannot be defined by metrics alone,” he said. “It must be rooted in a profound recognition of who we are. Our youth must know they are the descendants of astronomers, engineers, architects, and philosophers. Before the Age of Exploration, there was the Age of the Nile Valley, of Timbuktu, of Kumasi, and of the Maroons. We are creators of knowledge.”
He concluded with a stirring call to action that resonated throughout the conference: “When our ancestors were taken across the Middle Passage, they carried not only pain but also purpose. Today, we are that harvest. We are the realization of their longing. Let us turn this initiative into a movement, and this movement into unstoppable momentum—one of unity, prosperity, and pride.”
The next major milestone in advancing Africa-Caribbean collaboration will be the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum, scheduled for July 28-29, 2025, in St. George’s, Grenada.
