African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched the construction of its first trade centre outside Africa, marking a historic development in Africa-Caribbean relations.
The US$180 million facility in Bridgetown, Barbados, will house Afreximbank’s CARICOM office, conference facilities, and a technology incubator. The Barbadian government provided 6.4 acres at Jemmotts Lane for the project. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley noted the site’s historical significance as Barbados’ first hospital for emancipated slaves in 1844.
The complex, part of Afreximbank’s wider trade hub initiative, will include a 100-room hotel, exhibition centre, and Digital Trade Gateway. It joins eight other planned centres across Africa, including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Egypt sites. The project aims to strengthen South-South trade relations and enhance economic integration between Africa and the Caribbean Community.
This development follows Afreximbank’s 2018 Board decision to establish trade facilitation hubs in key commercial capitals, supporting international trade and investment connections.
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