The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. Gaston Alfonso Browne, said on Friday, 3 May, 2024, that his country is ready to partner with Lagos State and Nigeria in general in trade and investments.
Prime Minister Browne spoke during a courtesy visit to Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Lagos House, Marina.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by his wife, Maria Browne; Ambassador Davin Joseph; Chairman/CEO of Air Peace Limited, Dr. Allen Onyema; Nigerian Ex-International and Air Peace Ambassador, Chief Segun Odegbami and CEO of LIAT 2020 Airlines Antigua, Mrs. Hafsah Abdulsalam.
Speaking during the courtesy visit, Prime Minister Browne said the key objective of his country is to strengthen the relationship between Antigua and Barbuda and Nigeria, as well as the Caribbean and the rest of Africa.
He said: “I believe Africa has a significant amount of resources, and literally every African country can become a developed country. I am of the view that African countries can do even better than the Republic of China.
“Our aspiration for Nigeria is to see Nigeria become a developed country within the next decade or two. And we want to make sure that we are an early mover in the Caribbean to establish close linkages with Nigeria to increase trade and investment. The Caribbean and Africa must unite and work together to bring prosperity to our people.”
Speaking during the courtesy visit, attended by Lagos First Lady Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and some members of the Lagos State Executive Council, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration will partner with Antigua and Barbuda in entertainment, arts, culture, and technology.
He said, “We are building a bridge.” The Caribbean is the sixth region of Africa. We can partner in the areas of culture, tourism, arts, and entertainment because we have a lot of things in common. We can quickly begin to ship between the two regions all of the things that are common to us.
“Our tourism potential, arts and culture, and the kind of music we listen to can infuse into our economy very quickly, and we will begin to see the benefits among us and the two regions.
“Technology is very important because it knows no boundaries. We say we are the tech hub of Africa. All of the unicorns in tech start-ups have their origins in Lagos. So, technology can also be the strong handshake that we require.
“The time is now, and we all need to seize the opportunity. Mr. President has laid the background for us. He has said that he wants Nigeria to have a one trillion GDP within the next couple of years, and that is the kind of thing we are saying.
“Nigeria cannot just sit back and be a developing country. We have to take that narrative up. If China and India can do it, Nigeria can do it. We need to take charge and let the world know that indeed we are our brothers’ keepers, and distance should not be a hindrance.”
Also speaking, Chairman/CEO, Air Peace Limited, Dr. Allen Onyema, commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for receiving the Prime Minister Browne and his entourage.
He said the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda is in Lagos to address Nigerian investors, noting that Lagos will benefit a lot from the business discussions.
He said Africa is the next destination for the entire world, noting that there is a second scramble going on for Africa.
“The West, Asians, and everybody else want a piece of Africa. We must have Africa for ourselves and accommodate others,” he said.
