Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew has outlined concrete opportunities arising from strengthened Africa–Caribbean relations, following his recent visits to Africa. Speaking to the media last Friday, he emphasised that these partnerships are designed to deliver tangible benefits to Caribbean citizens in education, trade, and healthcare.
“While we are building relationships at the high level, it is critical that ordinary people see the benefits,” Dr. Drew said. “We are expanding scholarships with Morocco and Tanzania, partnering with Kenya on TVET programmes, and engaging with Cape Coast University in Ghana. These initiatives open doors for our students and young professionals.”
The Prime Minister highlighted healthcare as another key area of collaboration. “We are establishing stronger relationships between Africa and the Caribbean in healthcare. At our Caribbean meeting in February next year, we will hold a special symposium. NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and the African Union will join us in St. Kitts to strengthen healthcare systems so that our people can directly benefit,” he stated.
Trade and business opportunities were central to Dr. Drew’s discussions with African leaders. “We are working with Nigeria to develop a facility that facilitates trade between West Africa and the Caribbean. This is about creating real, tangible ways for our people to market their goods and access broader markets,” he explained.
Dr. Drew illustrated the potential scale: “You might have a business in St. Kitts serving 50,000 people. Go to Africa—there are 1.5 billion people. Even a tiny fraction of that population represents millions of potential customers.”
The Prime Minister further underscored the importance of people-to-people contact alongside economic collaboration. “I want a man to be able to say, ‘I’m going to Africa on Saturday, back next Wednesday.’ See what opportunities exist, explore partnerships, and build networks. That is how we transform these high-level relationships into real, lasting benefits for our citizens,” he said.
By linking trade, education, and healthcare, Dr. Drew stressed that Africa–Caribbean cooperation can create sustainable development and tangible progress for the region.
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