President John Dramani Mahama said he will advocate for the inclusion of Caribbean countries in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) when he assumes the chairmanship of the African Union (AU), in a move aimed at strengthening economic and trade relations between Africa and the Caribbean.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness in Kingston on Monday during his state visit to Jamaica, Mahama said expanding the AfCFTA to include Caribbean nations would create new business opportunities and deepen economic cooperation across the Atlantic.
He acknowledged that increasing trade between the two regions would require sustained efforts, including investment in infrastructure, logistics and improved market access.
“With regards to trade, we don’t kid ourselves that you snap your finger and suddenly our trade volumes will go up. We need to work at it,” Mahama said.
He said the AfCFTA already provides a framework for harmonising standards, certifying products and connecting producers with buyers across member states, adding that expanding the bloc would build on those mechanisms.
Mahama also pointed to the AU’s ongoing efforts to establish digital payment systems that would enable member countries to settle cross-border transactions in local currencies, reducing dependence on foreign currencies and facilitating intra-African trade.
“As chair of the AU, I’m going to push for the inclusion of the Caribbean into the African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.
The president said the recently activated Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation between Ghana and Jamaica would serve as a platform to monitor progress in trade, investment and broader bilateral cooperation.
He added that closer ties between Africa and the Caribbean would strengthen South-South cooperation and advance shared economic interests.
