Akume unveils Africa-Caribbean health, trade corridor at CHOGM
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has called for stronger economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean, describing the region as family rather than merely a market.
Akume made the call during a fireside chat at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Antigua, held on the sidelines of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), alongside Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and World Trade Organisation Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
He said both regions shared a common history, heritage and people, noting that many Barbadian families traced their ancestry to present-day Nigeria, while Mottley had also spoken about her Nigerian roots.
“The African Union recognises the diaspora as Africa’s sixth region. For Nigeria, therefore, the Caribbean is not simply another market or another partner. The Caribbean is family,” he said.
Akume said the historical relationship should translate into stronger South-South cooperation, particularly in healthcare manufacturing, trade and skills transfer. He noted that the Tinubu administration had made healthcare manufacturing a national priority through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain.
He also highlighted the role of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in ensuring the quality and safety of medicines, saying its regulatory expertise could provide opportunities for cooperation with Caribbean partners.
The SGF said progress had been recorded in the Nigeria-Barbados health partnership, recalling that the Presidential Initiative and Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding in November 2025. He added that AMA Medical Manufacturing delivered its first shipment of intravenous fluids from Nigeria to Barbados in March 2026, while Air Peace flights connecting Lagos with Barbados and Antigua were strengthening ties between the regions.
The highlight of the forum was a proposed joint venture between AMA Medical Manufacturing and Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc. to establish an intravenous fluids manufacturing facility in Barbados, with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) involved in project preparation and financing.
