Former Jamaica Prime Minister PJ Patterson is scheduled to leave the island on Friday, June 20 for the 32nd African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Annual Meetings in Abuja, Nigeria, scheduled for June 25-28.

Patterson, who was invited by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is scheduled to be keynote speaker at what is expected to be the largest gathering of Global Africa in Afreximbank’s history.

“This invitation from President Tinubu represents a significant recognition of the Caribbean’s role in Africa’s development trajectory,” Patterson is quoted in a news release on Thursday. “The bonds between Africa and the Caribbean, forged through shared history and common aspirations, provide a foundation for transformative partnerships that can reshape global economic relationships.”

Tinubu’s invitation specifically highlights Patterson’s expected contribution to the Presidential Plenary session on ‘Can Africa and the Caribbean Rise in a Fractured World? The Strategic Role of Afreximbank’. The session will examine opportunities for strengthening institutional cooperation and promoting African solidarity in addressing global economic challenges.

“Mr Patterson’s insights and experiences will undoubtedly enrich our discussions and contribute to formulating practical strategies for harnessing the power of our institutions to transform our economies and societies,” Tinubu stated in his invitation letter.

More than 6,000 delegates, including heads of State, government officials, business leaders, and development experts from Africa, the Caribbean Community, and globally will convene under the theme ‘Building the Future on Decades of Resilience’. The meetings underscore the growing strategic partnership between Africa and the Caribbean Diaspora.

The 90-year-old Patterson, who served as Jamaica’s prime minister from 1992 to 2006, was appointed Relevant Caribbean Statesman by the African Union in 2003 when it designated the diaspora as the Sixth Region of the continent. He currently leads the PJ Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy, which coordinates public policy initiatives fostering development relations between the two regions.

The timing of Patterson’s visit coincides with significant milestones in Nigeria-Africa development initiatives. During the meetings, participants will witness the formal launch of transformative projects including the African Medical Centre of Excellence, the African Quality Assurance Centre, and the Afreximbank African Trade Centre in Abuja.

Nigeria, as Afreximbank’s second-largest shareholder and the bank’s largest beneficiary with cumulative disbursements of approximately US$52 billion, will use the gathering to showcase its role in advancing intra-African trade and development finance.

The annual meetings will feature high-level policy discussions, business networking sessions, and presentations on critical issues including trade financing, industrialisation, implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and South-South partnerships.

Patterson’s attendance represents a strategic convergence of Caribbean and African development priorities, particularly as both regions seek to strengthen economic sovereignty and enhance their roles in global governance structures.

The former prime minister is expected to engage in discussions with African leaders on climate change adaptation, reparative justice initiatives, and expanding educational and cultural exchanges between the Caribbean and Africa.

Afreximbank is a pan-African multilateral financial institution established in 1993 to finance, facilitate, and promote intra- and extra-African trade. The bank serves as a catalyst for African economic integration and development through innovative trade finance solutions.