BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SHE was one of the first to help arrange a direct flight between Africa and the Caribbean, and now entrepreneur Elizabeth Agboola has set her sights on deepening that connection, determined to ensure stronger ties between Africa and the region
For many, bridging Africa and the Caribbean has always been seen as a challenge. But for Agboola, it is a vision—an opportunity on both sides of the Atlantic, where shared history and passion deserve to be nurtured.
The journey began in 2019 after a meeting with a Jamaican ambassador in London. That conversation sparked the idea of a direct flight. Just a year later, the dream became reality with the first airlift carrying 132 passengers between Africa and the Caribbean. The momentum, however, was slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On December 21, 2020, Nigerian airline Air Peace touched down in Kingston, Jamaica, marking another milestone in partnership with Nigerias Travel Too. The arrival was greeted with excitement, as government and stakeholders began exploring ways to make such connections permanent, particularly to boost tourism and tap into Africa’s vast market. For Agboola, the experience was transformative.
"So many of the possibilities were not seen on that flight. And it then became a place where I couldn't sleep anymore. It was not a case whereby I could just let go," she recalled.
The route connects Kingston to Lagos with an 11-hour flight.
From Vision to Responsibility
Since that first flight, Agboola says air connectivity between the regions has shifted from being just an opportunity to a responsibility, with possible expansion across the entire Caribbean.
“There are questions like, ‘When is the next one? What are you doing next?’ And those questions keep me moving,” she told SKNVibes.
Over the years, her team has sought to bridge gaps beyond aviation, fostering collaboration in creative industries, tourism, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“We became like a think tank for opportunities,” she explained. “So that then made us create a formal platform called Motherland Reconnect, where now you can be a member and join whichever category works for you and your business.”
Still, she acknowledges that traffic between the two regions remains low.
“The low number in business is what is still causing the low number in traffic for us. Because the whole idea is when there is business happening, then there will be movement happening.”
Agboola believes stronger collaboration across borders will stimulate growth in emerging Caribbean sectors, including the creative industries and manufacturing. “We’re trying to encourage more people talking, more people working together, more people collaborating so that we can have, at least to start, weekly flights in place,” she added.
The broader plans, she revealed, are also in motion, including working with Caribbean airlines.
“The wider plan is to collaborate with Caribbean Air, InterCarib, and all the other carriers that are cutting across the wider Caribbean,” she said. “Whilst I can’t say right now that we can do a hopper service within the region, we’re exploring routes like Nigeria to Ghana and into the Caribbean.”
While acknowledging the challenges ahead, Agboola said she is focused on building step by step.
“I would start with what is lighter—landing where we’re comfortable. Jamaica is central for us not just because of volumes but also the population size and capacity.”
Breaking Down Stigmas
Even as opportunities grow, Agboola recognizes that hesitations remain among some in the Caribbean when it comes to doing business with Africa. Asked about this stigma, she said her team has been intentional about changing perceptions.
“We started stereotype sensitisation through events and social media platforms,” she explained. “We’ve been showcasing and highlighting key places, key things, key people worth associating with on the African side.”
One such initiative was an event in Jamaica titled From Shared Roots to a Shared Future.
“That event brought the right people together—we had finance people, the creative industry, Nollywood, Afrobeats, and key players in tourism all in the same space,” she said.
Through initiatives like these, Agboola hopes to continue building bridges.
