The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Mr Gaston Alfonso Browne, said business opportunities abound in his country and implored the Nigerian business community to come and invest.
Already, he said his government had partnered with Air Peace for the establishment of LIAT 2020 Airline in Antigua and Barbuda and that operations would commence soon.
He expressed his appreciation to the chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema for “taking the big step of investing in the Caribbean nation.”
Besides, he commended the airline for the trail-blazing strides, especially the recent commencement of direct flights to London, stating that his country looked forward to when Air Peace will begin scheduled direct flights into Antigua and Barbuda “as this will drive socio-economic development and strengthen bilateral relations between both nations.”
Browne further noted that Antigua and Barbuda is safe and has an incentivised business environment.
He stressed the Investor Immigration Programme which was developed to grant citizenship to foreign nationals who invest in the country.
He also listed energy, education, pharmaceuticals, banking, real estate, tourism, fintech, agriculture, manufacturing and blockchain as some of the sectors needing investment.
“Antigua and Barbuda has impressive development indices with low inflation rate. The key objective of Antigua and Barbuda is to strengthen the relationship with Nigeria as well as the rest of Africa.
“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,” he added.
In his remark, Onyema called on the governments of Nigeria and Antigua and Barbuda to explore development opportunities for mutual benefits.
He urged other investors to consider investing in Antigua and Barbuda as he did with the LIAT 2020 Airline and has not regretted it.
“We are going long-haul with the government of Antigua and Barbuda, and in the coming weeks or months the LIAT birds will hit the Caribbean skies. I have invested there. I cannot mislead you,” he said.
The forum was attended by captains of industry, the management of Air Peace, former NFF President, Mr Amaju Pinnick, ex Nigerian footballer, Mr Segun Odegbami, aviators and representatives of the Lagos State government.
