Jamaica was taken into Caricom and Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) by stealth as our serial Cabinets did not consult us, gave us no heads-up, and in 40 years-plus we got no economic benefit. But a recent headline ‘Caricom sets up shop in Kenya’ ( Jamaica Observer , December 8, 2019) suggests Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados (Caricom chairman-elect) is forging alliances in Africa, so Caricom might now work for Jamaica.

She speaks of unleashing “people-to-people communication and cooperation, and the trade and investment opportunities such that our nations can prosper — relying on each other…” ( Observer, op cit) Of course, until Africa invents a better car, fridge, TV, tampon, pharmaceutical, we rely on the North, but she should remind the fatherland that our well-being, mental health, and race pride is tied to their success. Africa has produced no economic or military champion, so the world is grim for blacks.

The 60-odd African nations plus Caricom is 40 per cent of UN votes, so we should have three seats at the G8, but we are neither rich nor feared. North Korea starves, but has nuclear arms, thus respected. Mia must prompt Nigeria to overtake Germany by 2040 so blacks gain kudos globally.

Check this: The communist People’s Republic of China (PRC) was proclaimed in 1949 and Chairman Mao tried to move China from agrarian to industrial, but by 1962 60 million had died in famine — failure! The cultural revolution to erase capitalism was brutal, and though Mao died in 1976, it continued. After the Tiananmen Square debacle in 1989 China moved with purpose, so in 2019 they celebrate 70 years of communism and are the world’s industrial producer. What? When the Red Guard was smashing capitalist’s factories Jamaica was independent, chatty-chatty, and poor. Thirty years on, it still is. China is powerful! Think!

So, what does Caricom need from Africa and vice versa? The African Union has 54 members, some 2,500 languages, and 1.3 billion people, so can Chairman Mia proffer tiny Caricom as its 55th member? Far-flung Hawaii is a US state, so why not? Their market would prosper us yet we would not hamper them.

Africa has snow and sun; a cornucopia of tropical and temperate crops such as grape and guava; and goodies in all five regions. The Equatorial has timber, forest products; while, South has chromium, titanium, platinum, uranium, vanadium for computers, cell phones, space tech. East has the “big five”, biodiversity, and exotic animals. West Africa has tourism, Bollywood, culture, and the Sahel is grass, animals, nomadic Berber, Tuareg; from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Did I mention oil, gas, gold, or diamonds? What have we to trade?

Juma says the Diaspora/Caribbean is the sixth region. (Observer, op cit) But they already stash cash in Switzerland, buy luxuries in Europe and necessities in China; and Brexit investors will soon come, so what’s there for us? Do we have cutting-edge industrial, consumer, scientific innovation? Tourism? How many straw hats and statues with long penises they need? Can we transform Africa’s materials into high volume, low-margin products for the world, or go for high-skill exclusives as a diamond exchange?

We must not be daunted by Africa’s bounty; for though small Caricom adds value, West Africa is some 4,500 nautical miles from us, so is England, and resuming trade with Africa is good. Centuries ago our ancestors were cargo, but we hold no grudges, and Garvey’s vision of diaspora firms producing for Africa is doable, but the key is a single market treaty — no aid, no reparations, just free trade. Africa exported to China, Arabia, Mediterranean lands for eons. It consolidated goods and buyers came by camel train, dhow, ship for salt, minerals, slaves, plants, animals, ivory, etc and to this day some endure illegally.

Caricom has expertise and need Africa’s investment. Mia said: “The Caricom representation in Nairobi is going to impact how our nations function; how we build, how we trade,” and cites “centuries of division and exploitation.” (Observer, op cit) Yet those rancid centuries forged an inadvertent, inconvenient, but fortuitous blood link, so Caricom may now be Africa’s industrial belt, entrepôt, logistics hub, and export gateway. We must re-engineer the Middle Passage with daily shipping and airlift to rival the Silk Road so Africa’s trade may flourish from Alaska to the Malvinas and we their free-zone.

The African Union should plan long term and talk about market access with US President Donald Trump, who needs a hook into the black vote. His desperation and underrating of black nations may be Caricom’s ticket. Why get angry, just win! We have location, so pull Africa’s big investors like Dangote; a passport? real estate? Done!

Africa’s numbers are big and can easily swamp us, so we want to be attractive — but not too much. Let’s sell services as we who fail have more to teach than those who succeed first time. More power to Mia! Stay conscious!

Franklin Johnston, D Phil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager; Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK); and lectures in logistics and supply chain management at Mona School of Business and Management, The University of the West Indies. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.