Integrating the Caribbean Region into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will create a larger, unified market, harmonise trade standards, and deepen mutual understanding across both sides of the Atlantic, Ghana’s Special Envoy to the Caribbean Region, His Excellency Kwasi Kyei Darkwah, has said.
According to him, expanding the trade umbrella significantly swells the consumer base, directly connecting African producers to Caribbean buyers and vice versa.
He indicated that it will also drive substantial improvements in regional logistics, transport systems, and shipping links as logistics providers scale operations to handle increased traffic.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM’s flagship news programme, Nyankonton Mu Nsem, Ghana’s Special Envoy to the Caribbean Region, His Excellency Kwasi Kyei Darkwah, affirmed that the pledge represents a practical roadmap rather than a routine political promise.
Beyond boosting trade volumes, this integration fosters self-reliant economic cooperation, enabling both regions to support each other in adding value to raw materials.
Under the plan, Jamaican and Caribbean investors will secure seamless access to Africa’s 1.4-billion-person market, reinforcing historic ties through enhanced cross-border investment.
These structural advantages form the core of a strategic masterplan announced by President John Dramani Mahama during a joint press conference with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness in Kingston, Jamaica.
President Mahama pledged to advocate for Caribbean inclusion in AfCFTA when he assumes the chairmanship of the African Union (AU), stressing that deliberate infrastructure development, logistics enhancement, and expanded market access are essential to make the vision a reality.
The Special Envoy said while technocrats work on establishing the required legal frameworks, the initiative aims to build sustainable, trans-Atlantic economic prosperity.
He observed that AfCFTA already offers a robust framework for nations to standardise products, certify goods, and link producers straight to buyers.
Describing President Mahama as an exceptional, wise, and competent statesman, Mr Darkwah noted that making such a bold commitment requires a leader with a clear execution strategy.
Echoing the pan-African spirit of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the Special Envoy stated that just as Ghana’s independence was linked to the liberation of the entire continent, Africa’s prosperity today remains incomplete without the prosperity of the Caribbean.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana