As the 2025 Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2025) wrap up, anticipation is already building and attention has turned to this year’s Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) — a pivotal event set to deepen the blossoming partnership between Africa and the Caribbean.
ACTIF 2025 is scheduled to take place from July 28 to 29, 2025, at the Radisson Conference Centre in St. George’s, Grenada.
Speaking on the sidelines of AAM2025, Mr Okechukwu Ihejirika, Afreximbank’s Regional Chief Operating Officer for the Caribbean, reflected on how far the initiative has come since the landmark Bahamas event last year.
“Bahamas was a very big one — a bold statement to show our commitment to the Caribbean,” Ihejirika said.
“Skeptics are now seeing the real essence of Global Africa and why we must promote it. We can’t drop the ball.”
The AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum returns to champion increased trade and investment, stronger partnerships, identification of new markets and opportunities, and critical trade and market information exchange between Africa and the Caribbean.
Since that high-profile gathering, momentum has grown. According to Ihejirika, more businesses and governments are turning to the Bank for transactions, advice and — crucially — to rally behind the ‘Global Africa’ concept.
At its core, ACTIF remains the flagship platform where big players meet to tackle a stubborn problem: the underwhelming levels of trade between Africa and the Caribbean.
“ACTIF is where we leverage our convening power to bring in the who’s who in business from both regions,” Ihejirika explained. “Before ACTIF, there was no single space for businesses and policymakers to sit together and tackle this issue head-on.”
From Barbados to Guyana and the Bahamas, the results speak volumes: over 6,000 participants so far and deals worth more than USD 202 billion sealed across editions — a clear signal of intent and ambition.
This year’s ACTIF is expected to build on that success with a strong focus on sustainable energy, new trade agreements, improved transit visas, maritime links, and deeper technical exchanges — all aimed at making trade between the regions easier and more profitable.
For Afreximbank, the mission is simple but bold: keep the standard high, keep the doors open, and keep building a truly global Africa.
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