Nigeria, Caribbean To Establish Health Manufacturing, Trade Corridor – Akume

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has announced plans to strengthen economic and healthcare cooperation between Nigeria and Caribbean countries through a proposed transatlantic corridor for pharmaceutical manufacturing, trade and skills transfer.

Akume said the initiative would deepen historical and cultural ties between Africa and the Caribbean while creating opportunities for investment, technology transfer and mutual economic growth.

The SGF spoke during a fireside chat at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Antigua, held on the sidelines of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. He participated in the discussion alongside Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley, and the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Describing the relationship between the two regions as one rooted in shared ancestry and heritage, Akume said the Caribbean should be regarded as family rather than merely a trading destination. “When we speak of Africa and the Caribbean, we are speaking of a shared history, a shared heritage and, above all, a shared people. Many Barbadian families trace their ancestry to the lands that are now Nigeria. Prime Minister Mottley herself has spoken of her Nigerian roots,” he said.

He noted that the African Union recognises the diaspora as Africa’s sixth region, stressing that Nigeria was committed to translating its historical connections with the Caribbean into meaningful economic partnerships.

According to him, healthcare manufacturing presents a major opportunity for both regions to reduce dependence on external suppliers of essential medicines and medical products.

Akume said the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, had prioritised healthcare manufacturing through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain.

He explained that expanding local production capacity would not only strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system but also enable Nigerian manufacturers to access international markets, particularly in the Caribbean and the wider Americas.

The SGF, however, stressed that increased manufacturing must be supported by strong regulatory standards, noting that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control plays a critical role in safeguarding public health and preventing the circulation of substandard and falsified medicines.

He called for greater regulatory cooperation and technical exchanges between Nigeria and Caribbean countries to strengthen confidence in pharmaceutical products manufactured across both regions.

Akume disclosed that the Nigeria-Barbados health partnership had recorded significant progress, recalling that the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain and Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2025 to promote cooperation in the sector.

He added that AMA Medical Manufacturing delivered its first consignment of intravenous fluids from Nigeria to Barbados in March 2026.

The SGF also identified Air Peace’s flights connecting Lagos with Barbados and Antigua as an important development in strengthening commercial and people-to-people relations between the two regions.

Highlighting the need for a mutually beneficial partnership, Akume said Barbados also had products and expertise that could serve the African market.

He cited the evaluation and early clinical use of Barbados-manufactured Lenstec intraocular lenses in Nigeria as evidence of the potential for two-way trade and technical cooperation.

A major highlight of the forum was a proposed joint venture between AMA Medical Manufacturing and Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc. to establish an intravenous fluids manufacturing facility in Barbados. The project is expected to benefit from Afreximbank’s involvement in project preparation and the development of a financing framework.

Akume described the proposed investment as an example of Nigerian businesses expanding their footprint beyond the continent while contributing to industrial development in partner countries. He said the project would facilitate skills transfer, develop local expertise and create sustainable manufacturing capacity in the Caribbean.

The SGF emphasised that achieving the objectives of the partnership would require sustained coordination among governments, businesses, regulators and financial institutions.

“Our shared history has given us a powerful bond. Our responsibility now is to give that bond an equally powerful future. Let us build a partnership in which Africa and the Caribbean can rely more confidently on our own capabilities, respond to the health needs of our people and create opportunities for generations to come,” he said.