by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN)—On April 09, 2025, during a recent broadcast of InFocus, Hon. Samal Duggins, Minister of Agriculture, shared insights into the nation’s strategic engagement with West Africa following his participation in the AFRI-Caribbean Investment Summit (ACSIS 25).
The summit in Abuja, Nigeria, brought together leaders from various sectors to explore collaborative opportunities and highlight shared cultural and economic aspirations.
Robertine Webb, the Director of the Creative Economy, emphasised the knowledge gained from the summit.
“Actually, I didn’t know. And so going into the conference, I learned so much, because the conference was across many different industries that also focus specifically towards culture and creative economy, which I’m responsible for,” she stated.
Webb highlighted the importance of connecting with her counterparts in Nigeria, particularly regarding the CANEX conference, a larger-scale event that parallels their Creative Arts Convention.
“And so I learned about CANEX, which is a conference that is similar to what we would have had for the Creative Arts Convention, but of course, on a bigger scale, because it’s in Africa. And so I was able to connect with the minister responsible for culture and the creative economy, and also some entities and institutions. And when I thought about it, of course, there are ways that we can partner, but there are ways that we can export talent.”
Webb reflected on the potential of exporting talent and nurturing partnerships closer to their cultural roots.
“We always look at the USA to be our go-to for global success, whereas we can connect with our motherland, which is the largest continent. And basically put our exports, and because we have so many similarities, especially in terms of our music, the way we dance, the fashion.”
She noted that the discussions held during the summit could lead to fruitful collaborations as both regions share cultural treasures.
The broadcast host, Ian Richards, inquired about Webb’s expectations for the conference. She candidly admitted,
“The truth is, unsure. I was just thankful for the opportunity. I was eager to learn, eager to network, because believe it or not, networking is one of your biggest resources. And I must say, one of the successes coming out of this conference was the network that we have connected with. Trust me, from the finance level, from the creative level, there are persons who attended the conference who were just in media, who wanted to connect with persons or local creatives in terms of music distribution, in terms of just creating music on a whole, because they want to connect with their fellow relatives.”
Minister Duggins added his perspective on the potential market in Nigeria, stating, “Now, going into the conference, I largely thought about the areas, of course, nationally, but more so under my remit, and how we could advance those towards a more successful and sustainable future, especially areas like agriculture and the creative economy.”
He pointed out that Nigeria boasts a population of over 250 million, providing a significant market opportunity.
“With a population of over 250 million persons, I saw that as a viable market for our 50,000 to be able to export to.”
Duggins acknowledged concerns raised regarding Nigeria’s perception in the international media, often shaped by negative stereotypes, and asked how these could be countered.
“As with any economy, you’re going to have persons on the side of justice, on the positive side of justice, and persons that are not.”
He stressed the importance of recognising Nigeria as a stable country and a vital partner for St. Kitts and Nevis, suggesting that Western media’s negative framing perpetuates misconceptions about African nations.
“Let’s face it, and let’s not sugarcoat it. We are saying now, we are one Africa, and we should not allow Western media to vilify Africa.”
As discussions turned to the delegation’s composition, Duggins detailed the strategic goals for the participants in Nigeria, which included himself, Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, the Premier of Nevis Hon. Mark Brantley, and representatives from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Notably, the collaboration across political lines to advance geothermal energy initiatives was highlighted as a significant focus area.
“And here we have the political divide, unified, and saying, we believe the same thing, and we want to drive that forward,” he stated.
When discussing the impressions made during the summit, Webb expressed her delight in discovering cultural parallels, including a unique aspect of their cultural exchange in which dancers also played instruments.
“I enjoyed the conference, especially when they had the cultural exhibition. There were, again, similarities. So there were drumming and dancing happening, but one thing that we don’t do, which I found it very, okay, we could probably take a piece of it from them. The dancers actually turned into drummers as well.”
Webb added, “Their hospitality was off the chain…the experience was something I never expected and something I’ve never experienced. So the hospitality is something I think we can also learn from in terms of our tourism product.”
The visit opens up the potential for St. Kitts and Nevis to engage more deeply with Nigeria and the region, reaffirming a commitment to foster partnerships that recognise shared heritage and mutual benefits in agriculture and the creative economy.
As Webb noted, while the summit initially presented uncertainties, it culminated in significant achievements and learning opportunities that left both leaders optimistic about future collaborations between the two regions.
