An African trade centre, on the site of the first hospital built for formerly enslaved Black Barbadians, is set to forge powerful economic and cultural links between Africa and the Caribbean, in a project that officials said would create over 1 000 jobs and establish a gateway for Caribbean-African commerce.
Ground was broken on Monday for the construction of the Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC) opening a $360m door to expanded trade, investment, shared prosperity and cultural connection.
Located on over two hectares of land at Jemmotts Lane, St Michael, the site of the former General Hospital, the development will be the first Africa Trade Centre constructed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) outside of Africa.
It will include two 12-storey towers housing the bank’s CARICOM headquarters, a hotel, office space, conference and exhibition facilities, and a digital trade gateway.
In the key speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister Mia Mottley described the project as more than a commercial transaction but as a representation of a historic return to the region’s Atlantic roots and a powerful cultural and economic reclamation.
“My government stands proud today to welcome Afreximbank- not simply as a tenant leasing space– but as an institution laying roots and foundation in this country,” Mottley said.
Noting that she is no stranger to the history of the land, Mottley highlighted the historical significance of the site, which once housed the first hospital built for newly freed slaves that opened in 1844, six years after emancipation. More than 96 per cent of modern-day Barbadians are descendants of African people who were first brought to Barbados as enslaved people 400 years ago.
The prime minister, in a thinly veiled response to critics who have questioned the use of the prime lands, declared: “There can be no better use for this site.”
She said: “In the same way people came to tend to sick bodies in 1844, we come today to tend to those who need prosperity in the Americas from this site first.”
She further reiterated the country’s intention to offer the land, free of cost, to Afreximbank in support of the development.
Addressing Afreximbank’s President, Nigerian Economist Professor Benedict Oramah she said: “I therefore, Professor Oramah, ask you to accept, on behalf of the Afreximbank, this clear offer of the Government of Barbados to make available this just over two hectares of land.
“To ensure that an investment that will bring jobs to the people of Barbados, that will bring foreign exchange…, that will bring investment opportunities to the people of the region… that you so accept it, recognising that the history and location of the site carries with it so much more that can be contained in this speech.”
Mottley further moved to alleviate further concerns noting that the construction of the site will be overseen by the planning department and must be in keeping with national planning policies and cultural preservation.
“[It will be] consistent with the plans and policies that the government has set for multi-storey accommodation throughout this part of Bridgetown—sensitive to it being a World Heritage Site,” she said.
Noting that the event was not a traditional groundbreaking, Mottley said the gesture was meant to honour Professor Oramah’s leadership and to formally mark the handover of the site.
“Your vision and leadership in making the bridges possible between Africa and the Caribbean has been so stellar,” she said, “that for us to let it go unpassed… would be remiss,” she said.
Construction is expected to take 30 months and generate approximately 1 000 jobs during the building phase and 300 permanent jobs once completed.
Professor Oramah said nearly 50 local small and medium-sized enterprises are expected to benefit as subcontractors and suppliers.
“This is not just about buildings—it’s about reclaiming our shared destiny,” he said.
“We are laying deep roots here that say clearly: we are here to stay, in good times and bad.”
The Bridgetown centre will also be connected to other Afreximbank Africa Trade Centres in Nigeria, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon.
Also addressing the ceremony, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, said the project reflects a timely and forward-looking vision.
“It may be that President Oramah and Prime Minister Mottley had a sense of clairvoyance as to the troubled times ahead, back in 2021, when this partnership was initiated,” Mitchell said.
“Because I think now more than ever, the opportunities for us to look within ourselves to forge a new pathway of economic development, trade, investment, financing, tourism, culture, sports… between Africa and the diaspora. We are one people with one destiny, and we need to reimagine and create a future in our own image and language.”
CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett reiterated praises calling the centre a clear example of South-South cooperation in action.
“The trade and investment centre, the digital trade gateway, the business centre, and hotel can be critical launching pads to increase innovation and growth for our region,” she said.
“The bank intends to be more than just a source of financing. It is positioning itself as an active participant in projects that can drive growth and development not only here in Barbados, but across the region.”
shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb
