11/29/2025
Basseterre, and —
The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has taken another bold step toward deepening ties with Africa as the Honorable Samal Duggins, Minister of The Creative Economy, Entertainment, and The Arts, completed a strategic and high-level working visit to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The trip focused on three major pillars: food security and agro-processing, creative industry collaboration, and youth entrepreneurship and innovation.
Minister Duggins, who also plays a key role in driving the Federation’s agricultural modernization and creative expansion, described the mission as “transformational,” noting that St. Kitts and Nevis is positioning itself to be the Caribbean’s leading bridge into African markets.
A central component of the visit was advancing food security through strengthened agro-processing, direct investment, and expanded market access.
Minister Duggins met with several Nigerian agricultural enterprises to discuss the formation of a dedicated Africa–Caribbean value chain for key products such as cassava flour, plantain flour, spices, and nutraceuticals that are not widely available within CARICOM.
With the Federation seeking to significantly increase its agro-processing capacity, Nigerian partners engaged the minister in discussions on training programmes, investment opportunities, and the creation of export channels for St. Kitts and Nevis-made products into African markets.
The minister also emphasized the immense potential for creative exchange between the two regions. Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, produces nearly 2,500 films every year and is one of the world’s largest cinematic markets.
Through high-level engagements with producers, entertainment executives, and film institutions, Minister Duggins outlined a plan for co-productions, talent exchanges, and greater visibility for SKN creatives on African platforms.
“This creative entertainment bridge,” he noted, “will allow our musicians, actors, filmmakers, and cultural practitioners to reach new audiences across the continent while opening the door for collaborative film and digital content projects between our two nations.”
Youth empowerment formed the third foundation of the mission. Minister Duggins revealed plans to establish a joint ecosystem to support young entrepreneurs across the Caribbean and Africa. This includes a proposed Youth Innovation Fund aimed at mobilizing capital for startups in agriculture, creative industries, technology, and sports.
Through this partnership, Nigerian investors will be linked directly with businesses in St. Kitts and Nevis, creating a two-way flow of ideas, investment, and opportunity.
Minister Duggins noted that Nigerian companies view the Caribbean as an underutilized entry point into a culturally aligned, English-speaking market of more than 44 million people. He stressed that St. Kitts and Nevis must move swiftly to position itself as the region’s primary hub for bilateral trade and investment with Africa.
Reflecting on the significance of the trip, the minister said:
“This mission was about building real bridges; agricultural, creative, and entrepreneurial, that link the people of Africa and the Caribbean in a meaningful and economically sustainable way. St. Kitts and Nevis is ready to lead this new frontier of Afro-Caribbean cooperation, and the partnerships formed in Nigeria will help create a stronger, youth-led economy for generations to come.”
The Government views the minister’s Nigeria mission as a pivotal step in strengthening South-South cooperation and expanding St. Kitts and Nevis’ global footprint. With new opportunities emerging in agriculture, entertainment, and youth innovation, the Federation stands poised to benefit significantly from this deepened bilateral relationship.
As Minister Duggins noted, a vibrant future lies in roots that connect, and St. Kitts and Nevis is preparing to harness the full potential of Afro-Caribbean cooperation.
