Afreximbank Ignites a Transatlantic Trade Power Play with ACTIF2026 in St Kitts and Nevis

Egypt, 15 April 2026 - The African Export-Import Bank has set the stage for a striking expansion of its global ambitions, sealing an agreement with Saint Kitts and Nevis to host the 2026 edition of the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum.

Far from a routine diplomatic engagement, this move underscores a calculated effort to redraw the contours of trade between Africa and the Caribbean, signalling the emergence of a more assertive and self-directed economic alliance across the Atlantic.

Set to unfold in Basseterre from 29 to 31 July 2026, ACTIF2026 is poised to become a focal point for capital mobilisation, commercial diplomacy, and strategic deal-making. In recent years, the forum has evolved into a formidable platform for converting political goodwill into tangible financial commitments, with successive editions yielding agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The forthcoming gathering is expected to raise the stakes considerably, as Afreximbank deepens its financial footprint in the Caribbean and advances plans that could see its exposure in the region rise into the billions.

In articulating the bank’s vision, Dr George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, disclosed that: “At the fifth edition of ACTIF, we will once again reunite with our fellow Africans across the Atlantic to reflect on our shared development challenges and to recommit to the implementation of strategic programmes that will advance our collective aspiration for self-determination and self-reliance."

Dr Elombi emphasised that the forum is designed to move beyond dialogue into decisive action, serving as a catalyst for real transactions and enduring commercial partnerships between African and Caribbean stakeholders.

His remarks reflect a wider institutional drive to transform historic ties into structured economic outcomes, anchored in finance, trade facilitation, and investment.

This latest development is emblematic of a broader recalibration in Africa’s external trade strategy.

In cultivating stronger economic ties with Caribbean states, Afreximbank is actively diversifying trade partnerships at a time when global supply chains are being reshaped by geopolitical tension and shifting economic priorities.

The Caribbean, long regarded through the narrow prism of tourism, is being repositioned as a viable gateway for investment flows, financial services, and commercial exchange within a wider “Global Africa” framework.