The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has called for stronger economic cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean, unveiling plans for a two-way corridor to promote healthcare manufacturing, trade, investment and skills transfer between the regions.
Akume said the partnership would enable both regions to leverage their shared history and cultural ties to build economic relationships that deliver tangible benefits to their people, particularly in healthcare and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“The Caribbean is family, not just a market,” he declared.
The SGF spoke during a fireside chat at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Antigua, held on the sidelines of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). He participated in the discussion alongside Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Akume said Africa and the Caribbean shared a common history, heritage and ancestry, noting that many Barbadian families traced their roots to present-day Nigeria.
“When we speak of Africa and the Caribbean, we are speaking of a shared history, a shared heritage and, above all, a shared people. Many Barbadian families trace their ancestry to the lands that are now Nigeria. Prime Minister Mottley herself has spoken of her Nigerian roots,” he said.
He added that the African Union’s recognition of the diaspora as Africa’s sixth region reinforced the need to deepen relations with Caribbean countries beyond historical and cultural connections.
According to him, the priority should now be to translate the longstanding relationship into practical economic cooperation, particularly through South-South partnerships that strengthen local production and reduce dependence on external suppliers.
“For too long, countries across the Global South have depended on others for essential medicines and medical supplies. We must have a greater role in developing the solutions to these challenges. We must be able to produce more of the medicines our people need, and ensure that those medicines are safe, effective and accessible,” Akume said.
He described healthcare manufacturing as a major area of opportunity for cooperation between Nigeria and the Caribbean, stressing that countries in both regions could combine their existing expertise and production capacities to address shared healthcare needs.
Akume said President Bola Tinubu’s administration had prioritised healthcare manufacturing under its Renewed Hope Agenda through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain.
He noted that expanding production capacity in Nigeria would also require manufacturers to explore international markets, adding that the Caribbean offered an opportunity to expand the reach of Nigerian businesses while creating new commercial links across the Atlantic.
“We recognise that our manufacturers must also look beyond Nigeria’s borders if they are to grow and compete. The Caribbean offers an opportunity to deepen our historic relationship while building new economic connections across the Atlantic and into the Americas,” he said.
The SGF, however, stressed that expanding pharmaceutical production must be accompanied by strong quality assurance and public confidence in medicines.
He highlighted the role of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in combating substandard and falsified medicines, saying regulatory cooperation and technical exchanges with Caribbean partners could help strengthen standards and improve access to safe medical products.
Akume also called for sustained coordination among governments and relevant institutions to ensure that the proposed partnership translates into concrete outcomes.
“Health, trade, regulation, investment and financing must work together if our ambitions are to translate into results,” he said.
*Nigeria-Barbados partnership gains momentum*
Highlighting progress in the emerging Nigeria-Barbados healthcare partnership, Akume recalled that Nigeria’s Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain and Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding in November 2025 to advance cooperation.
He also disclosed that AMA Medical Manufacturing delivered its first shipment of intravenous fluids from Nigeria to Barbados in March 2026, describing the development as evidence of the potential for Nigerian-made medical products to access Caribbean markets.
Improved air connectivity is also helping to strengthen relations between the regions, he said, citing Air Peace flights connecting Lagos with Barbados and Antigua.
Akume emphasised that the partnership should not be a one-way arrangement in which Nigeria exports products to the Caribbean, but a mutually beneficial relationship that allows both sides to exchange goods, expertise, investment and technology.
As an example, he cited Barbados-made Lenstec intraocular lenses, which have undergone evaluation and early clinical use in Nigeria.
“This is a reminder that the Caribbean also has expertise and products to offer Africa. We should be building a corridor through which goods, investment, skills and knowledge move in both directions,” he said.
*Joint venture targets intravenous fluids production*
A major highlight of the forum was a proposed joint venture between AMA Medical Manufacturing and Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc. to establish intravenous fluids manufacturing capacity in Barbados.
The initiative is expected to provide an avenue for Nigerian enterprise to expand into the Caribbean while supporting local industrial capacity, technical skills development and knowledge transfer.
Akume said the engagement of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in project preparation and the financing pathway could help advance the proposed investment.
“This is Nigerian enterprise putting down roots in the Caribbean. It is an opportunity to transfer skills, develop local expertise and establish productive capacity that will remain and grow in the region,” he said.
The SGF welcomed the agreements being signed, describing them as steps towards converting the historic relationship between Africa and the Caribbean into a sustainable economic partnership.
He urged both regions to build on their shared heritage by strengthening their capacity to produce essential goods, respond to healthcare challenges and create employment and investment opportunities.
“Our shared history has given us a powerful bond. Our responsibility now is to give that bond an equally powerful future.
“Let us build a partnership in which Africa and the Caribbean can rely more confidently on our own capabilities, respond to the health needs of our people and create opportunities for generations to come,” Akume said.