St. George’s, Grenada, 28 July 2025 – The Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, participated in the 4th Africa–Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2025), held in St. George’s, Grenada, under the theme “Resilience and Transformation: Enhancing Africa–Caribbean Economic Cooperation in an Era of Global Uncertainty.”

Hosted by the Government of Grenada in collaboration with Afreximbank and key regional partners, ACTIF2025 convened leaders from across Africa and the Caribbean to explore opportunities for deepening trade and investment ties between the two regions.

In his special remarks, H.E. Mene underscored the urgency of advancing South–South cooperation and creating commercially meaningful economic relations beyond shared historical and cultural ties. “The AfCFTA provides a continental market of scale, underpinned by rules-based trade, investment, and industrial policies. It is the foundation for deeper integration, value chain development, and inclusive growth,” he noted.

The Secretary-General also highlighted the strategic opportunity presented by the AfCFTA to build a transatlantic economic corridor between Africa and the Caribbean. He welcomed the $3 billion credit facility extended by Afreximbank to the Caribbean region and called for stronger connectivity, harmonised trade procedures, and joint industrial development.

As ACTIF continues to grow in impact, having recorded over $4 billion in investment deals at its last edition, H.E. Mene reaffirmed the AfCFTA Secretariat’s commitment to transforming Africa–Caribbean relations into a model of partnership rooted in economic resilience, trade-led growth and mutual prosperity.