Premier Brantley Highlights Significant Opportunities for Nevis in Strengthening Ties with Africa

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS – Premier the Honourable Mark Brantley, Minister of Economic Planning, Trade, and Foreign Investment in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), underscored the growing potential for Nevis in forming strategic partnerships with Africa.

Premier Brantley recently returned from the inaugural Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit (ACIS 25) in Abuja, Nigeria, where he presented updates on the geothermal energy development in St. Kitts and Nevis and discussed investment opportunities in Nevis and St. Kitts.

The Honourable Brantley, a longtime advocate for South-South collaboration, emphasized the importance of fostering stronger relations between the Caribbean and Africa, particularly as global dynamics shift.

“The Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit had many purposes. Africa is really looking for opportunities in the Caribbean, and as we see what is happening in the United States, our closest neighbour, we see the upheavals that are being caused regionally and internationally. It behooves us to look South, to look to Africa, and I’ve been saying that for a while, to develop new relationships in Asia and the Middle East,” he remarked during his press conference on Monday, March 31.

“I’m not suggesting that we abandon existing relationships, but I’m saying that we need new relationships and we need to move away from our dependence on the age-old colonial constructs that we have had.”

The Premier stressed that while Nevis maintains strong ties with traditional partners such as the UK, Europe, the United States, and Canada, it is crucial to diversify these new connections.

“We want to be partners with England, with Europe, we love America and Canada, but our eggs can’t all be in that basket anymore,” he stated.

“We must look to Africa, and Africa is ready for us in my humble opinion; the Africans want to reconnect with us…and I believe that it is high time that all of us in the Caribbean start to sing from that hymnal, that it is important to reconnect with Africa and to forge relationships with Africa. I think this is a fresh start.”

Premier Brantley outlined several sectors in which Nevis could benefit from closer collaboration with African nations. He identified tourism, investment, film production, and energy as key areas where Nevis stands to gain. Highlighting Africa’s booming Nollywood film industry, Brantley emphasized the potential for Nevis to serve as a filming location as the island continues to develop its own film industry. Additionally, opportunities exist in agriculture, with countries like Nigeria representing a massive market for trade.

“I think we can benefit from Tourism, benefit in terms of investment, film- Nigeria has a booming film industry called Nollywood and they are constantly looking for new locations where they can film and Nevis is trying to develop a film industry, more citizenship by investment, and certainly expertise in terms of energy; so there are opportunities and synergies. But I started out by inviting them to come and see us.”

He also noted that agricultural trade represents a significant opportunity, especially with large nations like Nigeria, which engages in trading of billions of dollars in agricultural products.

Premier Brantley also pointed out that many wealthy Nigerians already hold citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis, and he encouraged leveraging these economic citizens for potential investment and philanthropic support.

As Nevis and the Federation look to expand global partnerships, the Premier’s call to strengthen ties with Africa signals an exciting new chapter for the island’s economic and cultural development.

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