ACTIF 2025 Concludes with Over $300M in Investment and Strategic Commitments to Regional Integration
St. George’s, Grenada, 08 August 2025 — The Fourth AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF 2025) has successfully wrapped up, culminating in more than US$300 million secured through investment and trade agreements, alongside a robust communique emphasising both regions’ dedication to enhanced collaboration.
This two-day forum, co-hosted by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Government of Grenada, attracted over 2,100 delegates from 80 countries.
It included 11 Heads of State and Government, alongside representatives from governments, the private sector, and development partners.
Throughout the course of the forum, eight significant deals and memoranda were unveiled, involving various sectors such as infrastructure, tourism, digital transformation, and trade finance: Receivables Discounting Facility with the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies Ltd aimed at road and infrastructure developments (£60M), and Education Construction and Rehabilitation Climate-Linked Facility (£50M) established with the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
A Term Loan dedicated to the Homewood Suites by Hilton Barbados (£62.1M), a Receivables Facility allocated to Cat Island Infrastructure Company Ltd in the Bahamas (£40M), and a Commercial port development agreement involving Gemini Integrated Commodities Trading Company Ltd and the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis (£40M).
The rest included an MOU with the Grenada Development Bank to enhance SME development and trade flows, and a strategic cooperation MOU with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) to foster digital transformation.
Additionally, the Bank of the Bahamas Ltd was designated as an Afreximbank Trade Finance Intermediary, further solidifying the financial ecosystem essential for cross-border transactions.
In his closing remarks, Grenada’s Prime Minister, Hon Dickon Mitchell, reinforced the region’s commitment to institutionalising collaboration with Africa saying: “We must be intentional about establishing institutions that recreate the trade, investment, banking, and financial relationships we aspire to foster. The existing systems were not designed with our best interests at heart.”
He advocated for the removal of visa restrictions, emphasising unrestricted movement between regions to enhance people’s mobility, as he vouched for the use of biometric technologies.
From a financial and institutional perspective, Dr. George Elombi, Executive Vice President of Afreximbank and incoming President, stressed the importance of conviction in achieving collective goals:
“The next phase involves more than just validating our vision; it entails a commitment to who we are and where we aspire to be, taking decisive action. Finance is the lifeblood of trade. Once we integrate payment systems and recognise the Caribbean’s unique potential, the progress will follow.”
The official communiqué welcomed the endorsement of the Global Africa Commission by Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, along with other OECS states, advocating for its formal adoption at the upcoming AU-CARICOM Summit in Addis Ababa this September. The Commission aims to expedite trade, cultural exchange, and investment frameworks across the diaspora and the African continent.
Participants also pledged to establish a Free Trade Arrangement, eliminate visa restrictions, support air and maritime connectivity, and expand partnerships in digital, sports, and the creative economy.
The communiqué recognised ACTIF 2025 as a pivotal juncture in developing “resilient cross-regional value chains” and affirmed the continuation of the ACTIF platform alongside the announcement of future engagements.
Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah, who is concluding his term this year, was honoured at the event for his visionary leadership and contributions.
A symbolic tree-planting ceremony at Camerhogne Park in St. George’s, Grenada, was held in his honour, featuring the Flamboyant tree, native to Madagascar and widespread throughout the Caribbean and Africa, which is celebrated for its vibrant red blooms that symbolise vitality, peace, and growth.
The forum paid tribute to Prof. Oramah’s legacy as a foundational force in strengthening Africa-Caribbean relations
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) serves as a Pan-African multilateral financial institution dedicated to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade.
For over 30 years, the Bank has employed innovative financial structures to support the transformation of Africa’s trade landscape, fostering industrialisation and regional trade to drive economic growth across the continent.
A staunch supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has introduced the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), adopted by the African Union (AU) as the foundational payment and settlement platform to facilitate trade across the continent.
