BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Caribbean leaders are expected to meet with their African counterparts during the 32nd African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Annual Meetings (AAM) in Abuja, Nigeria from June 23-28 this year.

“We expect the event, especially the opening ceremony on June 27, to bring together heads of state, heads of regional oganisations from Africa and the Caribbean, as well as policymakers, academics and business leaders,” said Professor Benedict Oramah, president and chairman of the board of directors of the Egypt-based, Afreximbank.

“Together, we will pool our experiences and resources to deliver another historic event for Africa, the bank and me personally,” he added.

Afreximbank, a pan-African multilateral trade finance institution, has already announced plans to establish a state-of-the-art trade centre in Barbados.

It said that the 30,000-square-metre complex will comprise the Afreximbank Caribbean regional offices, corporate office space, a 120-room hotel, conference, exhibition, and business incubation centre among other facilities.

Earlier this month, Grenada and Afreximbank entered into an agreement for St George’s to host the fourth AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) in July this year.

“This prominent forum, expected to draw over 800 delegates, including heads of state and key business leaders, will focus on driving investments across vital sectors such as tourism, logistics, agriculture, IT (information technology), energy, and the creative industries. It aims to further the development of an Africa-Caribbean free trade area, fostering deeper economic collaboration between the regions,” it said.

Afreximbank said its annual meeting “is one of the most anticipated gatherings on the African continent, featuring high-level policy discussions, presentations and side events on issues pertinent to the socio-economic development of Africa as well as business networking sessions that drive integration through trade and investments.”

It also said the meeting in Nigeria is expected to be the largest gathering of global Africa in the bank’s history, bringing together over 6,000 delegates from Africa, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and globally.

The meeting will be held under the theme, “Building the Future on Decades of Resilience”.