BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has expressed support for the initiative undertaken by Prime Minister Terrance Drew to lead a large-scale delegation to Nigeria on a chartered flight.
The delegation, comprised of entertainers, business professionals, government officials, and cultural icons representing eight Caribbean nations, departed the Federation on a 10-hour flight across the Atlantic.
In a media statement issued today, the OECS Secretariat described the occasion as “a landmark achievement for South-South cooperation and regional integration,” emphasizing that it “proudly supports the first-ever large-scale commercial charter flight originating from the Caribbean directly to the African continent, organised by Aquarian Consult Limited.”
St. Kitts and Nevis, along with the wider Caribbean region, has been pushing for increased South-South cooperation amid shifting global geopolitical dynamics.
Speaking recently on Freedom FM, Dr. Drew explained the rationale for leading the delegation to Nigeria, noting that a number of opportunities exist on the African continent.
Dr. Drew said that he and other Cabinet members have visited the continent and observed that developed nations are increasingly shifting their attention to Africa because of its vast land, population, and natural resources for development.
“It has most arable land. It has all the minerals and rare earths you can find on the earth, and they have these things in abundance,” he noted. “And so Africa is gearing up for the African Renaissance. It's about to take off, so everybody's trying to get in there. We, who are descendants of Africans, we must get in there as well.”
Dr. Drew emphasized that his travels to the continent have opened doors for people to connect and create cultural and business opportunities, strengthening ties with Africa.
He said the trip is part of a larger effort at bridge-building for the people of the Federation and, by extension, the wider Caribbean region.
“And so this trip that I'm taking, I'm going to do five critical trips to all the continents, because I've travelled and made the contacts and opened some doors. I'm going to take our people to West Africa, which I'm doing on Saturday. I'm going to take our people to North America, both the US and Canada.”
