On July 29, in St. George’s, the capital of Grenada, a majestic tree was planted in honor of Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank. This symbolic moment, during the ACTIF 2025 Forum, recognized his key role in strengthening economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean, while highlighting the values of unity, transmission, and continuity.
In St. George’s, the capital of Grenada, a highly symbolic gesture marked the 4th Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum, ACTIF 2025. A majestic tree, with vibrant flowers, was planted on July 29, 2025, in the conference gardens in honor of Professor Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank. This gesture, both symbolic and powerful, pays tribute to Professor Oramah’s unwavering commitment to economic rapprochement between Africa and the Caribbean.
As an agricultural economist, I know the meaning and the value of plants. I know that in the food chain and in the life chain, as I would call it, it is the plant that stands there as the anchor. And today as I joined the Honorable Prime Minister in planting this tree, I am reminded that I have now found a very deep anchor in Grenada and the CARICOM. A person who plants a tree must tend the tree. A person who plants a tree must come and harvest the tree. A person who plants a tree must always make sure that the tree lasts and lasts.
BENEDICT ORAMAH, President of Afreximbank – Nigeria
For the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, this gesture symbolizes recognition of the vision of the president of Afreximbank, a vision described as a « living legacy » intended to mark future generations, through a solid and lasting partnership between the two continents.
They say those who plant trees knowing that they will never sit in its shade or reap its fruits are reflective of true leadership. And this symbolic but substantive planting of a flamboyant tree, a tree which originates from Madagascar, but has found its way to the Caribbean and adorns the landscape wherever you go. And when it blooms, its beautiful red flowers inspire beauty, tranquility, and peace in all of us. It reflects the significant role you have played in ensuring that global Africa can rise, blossom, bloom, and stand as a testament and a legacy for future generations.
DICKON MITCHELL, Prime Minister – Grenada
Visibly moved, Professor Benedict Oramah expressed his gratitude, recalling his early days as an agronomist. He recalled the symbolic importance of the tree, which embodies roots, growth, and life itself. This powerful moment, held on the sidelines of the forum, highlighted the values of South-South cooperation, unity, and transmission—essential principles for ensuring the sustainability of intercontinental collaboration.
