Africa and the Caribbean are accelerating their economic integration through the 2026 Africa-Caribbean Investment Summit (AACIS), which aims to establish a genuine transatlantic investment corridor. Taking place in Abuja from 23 to 28 March 2026, the summit highlights opportunities in key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare and technology. The event is positioned as a strategic lever to stimulate trade, attract capital and generate jobs, whilst promoting local value creation and sustainable growth.
The second day of the Aquarian consult Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit, AACIS’26, on 24 March in Abuja, was marked by strong symbolic significance, notably through the planting of trees to illustrate the renewed bond between Africa and the Caribbean. Beyond discussions centred on the creative industries, participants highlighted the importance of passing on to younger generations a shared sense of history and identity, rooted in common African heritage and forward-looking cooperation.
“This tree planting is symbolic of the connection between Africa and the Caribbean, focused on our future. For this programme, we selected 15-year-olds from Nigeria and 15-year-olds from St. Kitts.”
Aisha Maina, Executive Director of Aquarian Consult Limited – Nigeria
Alongside these discussions, environmental issues have emerged as a key strategic priority. In Africa, although the continent accounts for only around 2–4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, over 65% of its population is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In the Caribbean, the contribution to global emissions remains marginal (0.23%), but the agriculture and forestry sector alone accounts for 42% of regional emissions.
“We want to ensure that future generations understand the efforts that have gone into rebuilding that connection which may have been lost over the centuries, but also to understand who they are – that we are all part of Africa.”
Samal Duggins, Minister for the Creative Economy – Saint Kitts and Nevis
This convergence of vulnerabilities highlights the economic importance of Afro-Caribbean cooperation. Climate-related losses in Africa can amount to as much as 5% of annual GDP, whilst Caribbean states need to step up their investment in resilience to natural disasters. Thus, the symbolic ceremony forms part of a broader initiative: to make the environment a driver of investment, innovation and sustainable growth in relations between the two regions.
