ACSII Trade & Investment Webinar: Unlocking Bilateral Trade Opportunities between Nigeria & the Caribbean | 18 March 2026
Overview
The African Caribbean Sustainability & Investment Initiative (ACSII) used its March webinar to move decisively from advocacy to action, announcing a structured Nigeria–Caribbean trade mission for October 2026 and two imminent diplomatic investment events – one at the Barbados High Commission in London on 27 March 2026 and another at the Zimbabwe Embassy London on 8 May 2026. Framed against a backdrop of shifting global trade flows and growing disillusionment with US market dependency, ACSII positioned the Nigeria–Caribbean corridor as a commercially viable, strategically urgent alternative for entrepreneurs and investors on both sides of the Atlantic.
Key Discussion Pillars
- The ACSII platform and its value proposition. Founded approximately two years ago and launched at the House of Lords, ACSII describes itself as a capacity-building and trade facilitation body. Its flagship deal room – debuted at its November 2025 summit – processed investment opportunities with a combined value of approximately $130 million. Membership unlocks access to deal rooms, investment readiness support, high level networking, market intelligence, and trade mission participation.
- The Caribbean as an underserved import market. Dr. Anastacia Lewis (Secretary General, Global Chamber on African Trade, Rights and EconomicDevelopment; speaking from the Caribbean) outlined a $39 billion regional economy that is heavily import-dependent, service-led, and now pivoting away from US supply chains. High-demand gaps include rice, grains, flour-based products, poultry, processed meats, cement, steel, household goods, personal care products, textiles, health and wellness products, fintech infrastructure, and creative industry services.
- Geopolitical tailwinds driving urgency. Multiple speakers identified current US trade and immigration policy – including passport and visa rejections affecting African and Caribbean nationals as a structural inflection point. Caribbean nations are actively seeking alternative sources for fish export markets, steel imports, and agricultural supply chains, creating immediate openings for Nigerian exporters.
- Trade mission to Nigeria — October 2026. Global business strategist Eryca Freemantle (EATOW), citing her track record of delivering 19 business partnerships from a 26-person inaugural Lagos trade mission, confirmed a joint ACSII–EATOW trade delegation to Lagos planned for late October 2026. The mission will involve pre-trip matchmaking with vetted Nigerian counterparts across all sectors, with British government engagement in-market.
- Export and import compliance for Nigeria–Caribbean trade. Kamari Famokunwa, CEO of KTI Logistics, provided a practical framework covering: regulatory compliance bodies (NAFDAC, SON, CAC, Customs, NDLEA); essential export documentation (invoice, packing list, airway bill, certificate of origin, insurance); and import-specific requirements including Form M (processed via Nigerian banks) and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR). A key logistics development: Air Peace now operates direct cargo flights to the Caribbean as of December 2025, alongside KLM, British Airways, and Ethiopian Airways.
- Afreximbank partnership in development. David F. Roberts, ACSII founder, confirmed discussions with Afreximbank — which maintains a Caribbean office in Barbados — to extend blended finance and development funding access to entrepreneurs operating within the ACSII ecosystem. Afreximbank is already a previous sponsor of ACSII at the 2025 Flagship Event (ACSIS 2025).
Notable Quotes
Dr. Anastacia Lewis Secretary General, African Trade Economic Rights and Development:
“This is more than a trade. It’s about economic empowerment. We are building a new legacy of shared prosperity. The Caribbean is not just a market — it is a movement for opportunity.”
David F. Roberts , Founder, ACSII:
“With what’s happening in the United States — African and Caribbean countries being marginalized, passports being rejected — we now see the need for us to be thinking more inwardly. If you are in the marketplace in Nigeria and you have access to steel or other commodities that are of use in the Caribbean, now is the time.”
Eryca Freemantle , Global Business Strategist, EATOW:
“You can have all the knowledge in the world and sit on it and do nothing. Our first trade mission brought 26 people to Nigeria. Nineteen of them left with business partners. You have to be in the room.”
Q&A Highlights
Q: What can someone without business experience or capital do to enter this space?
Freemantle advised investing in proximity to practitioners — attending paid events, trade missions, and sector workshops; arguing that free spaces rarely provide substantive access. She encouraged aspirants to begin saving toward mission participation and to treat self-investment as a prerequisite for market entry.
Q: Are there opportunities in the medical and health sector? Freemantle confirmed strong demand, encouraging health professionals to think broadly — encompassing wellness, conferences, retreats, and health-adjacent industries rather than clinical services alone, and to identify their specific value-add within that spectrum.
Q: What documentation is needed to export from Nigeria to the Caribbean? Freight forwarders handle the bulk of documentation on behalf of exporters. Business owners must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Core documents include the commercial invoice, packing list, airway bill, certificate of origin, and insurance certificate. For imports into Nigeria, NAFDAC approval must be secured before goods move, and PAAR must be obtained prior to arrival.
Prospective participants are directed to contact ACSII. Membership enquiries — required for access to the deal room, soirees, high level networking and investment intelligence, can be directed through ACSII Membership page.
For more information about ACSII, visit our website or contact us:
🌐 www.africancaribbeansummit.com 📧 enquiries@africancaribbeansummit.com
