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Ar GRENADA | Dangote Announces DANGOTE-ORAMAH Centre of Excellence in Grenada as Africa-Caribbean Institutional Network Expands
President of the Dangote Group of Companies, Aliko Dangote to set up a Dangote-Oramah Center of Excellence in Grenada in honour of Professor Benedict Oramah.
Billionaire industrialist's surprise announcement at ACTIF 2025 signals deepening Africa-Caribbean collaboration through Afreximbank partnerships
ST. GEORGE'S Grenada, July 30, 2025 - In a surprise announcement that caught even Grenada's Prime Minister off guard, African billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote revealed plans to establish the DANGOTE-ORAMAH Centre of Excellence in Grenada during the opening presidential panel of the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) 2025.
The announcement, delivered to enthusiastic applause at the forum themed "New World Order as an Opportunity for Strengthening Africa-Caribbean Trade, Investment, and Cultural Relations," represents the latest institutional development in the expanding Africa-Caribbean economic partnership facilitated by Afreximbank.
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, visibly surprised by the unexpected announcement, expressed his government's gratitude on behalf of Grenada, noting that the centre aligns perfectly with the island nation's vision of becoming a strategic bridge between Africa and the Caribbean.
Strategic Institutional Framework
The presidential panel, featuring prominent leaders and thinkers from both regions, explored how deepening trade, investment, and cultural ties between Africa and the Caribbean can serve as a strategic counterbalance to global geopolitical turbulence, rising protectionism, and multipolarity.
Against this backdrop, Dangote's announcement takes on particular significance as it represents concrete institutional investment in South-South cooperation.
The Centre of Excellence, named in honor of both Dangote and Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, will serve as a hub for research, policy development, and capacity building aimed at accelerating Africa-Caribbean economic integration.
Dangote noted that the Dangote-Oramah Center would strive to help break the decades of mental shackles put in place by the unsavory past experiences of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism, pointing out that if Africa and the Caribbean collaborate, the prices of petroleum products, fertilizer and other such products would crash.
The dual naming acknowledges both private sector leadership and institutional banking support in driving the Africa-Caribbean partnership forward.
Emerging Knowledge Network
Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman, Board of Directors, Afreximbank
Established to deepen Pan-African collaboration, the P.J. Patterson Institute provides the intellectual foundation for coordinating this continental initiative.
The pilot AI hubs represent the first phase of a broader strategy to position Africa and the Caribbean as AI innovation centers rather than mere commodity suppliers, potentially establishing templates for continental-scale technology initiatives.
This institutional network approach reflects Afreximbank's expanding strategy in the Caribbean, where the continental development bank has been steadily building partnerships and increasing its regional footprint.
With Afreximbank's financial backing supporting these initiatives, the coordination between Grenada's Centre of Excellence and Jamaica's AI development plans signals a fundamental shift toward technological self-determination for regions representing over 1.5 billion people globally.
Afreximbank's Caribbean Expansion
Prof. Benedict Oramah has been instrumental in driving Afreximbank's Caribbean expansion, viewing the region as a natural extension of Africa's economic diaspora. The bank's growing Caribbean presence includes trade financing facilities, investment partnerships, and now institutional development projects like the Dangote centre.
Recent Afreximbank initiatives in the region have focused on facilitating trade flows, supporting infrastructure development, and creating financial instruments that benefit both African and Caribbean economies.
The establishment of research and policy centres represents an evolution of this strategy, moving from purely transactional relationships to institutional capacity building.
The timing of the centre announcement during ACTIF 2025 underscores Afreximbank's commitment to making the forum not just a networking event but a platform for concrete project launches and institutional development.
Centre Functions and Regional Impact
Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank and the Prime Minister of Grenada, the Hon. Dickon Mitchell are joined by senior representatives of Afreximbank and Government of Grenada officials during a symbolic tree-planting ceremony at Camerhogne Park, St. George’s, Grenada.
Grenada's selection as the centre's location reflects the island's strategic positioning within CARICOM and its commitment to serving as a bridge between Africa and the Caribbean. The country's stable political environment, educated workforce, and existing connections to both regions make it an ideal location for such an institution.
The centre's establishment, combined with the P.J. Patterson Institute's AI industry development mandate, creates a knowledge corridor spanning research excellence and technological innovation.
Success of these pilot initiatives could demonstrate that innovation leadership need not remain concentrated in traditional tech capitals, offering a transformative model for other CARICOM nations seeking to deepen their Africa ties while building competitive technology sectors.
Future Implications
The DANGOTE-ORAMAH Centre represents more than institutional development; it signals a maturing of Africa-Caribbean relations from informal cultural ties to structured economic partnerships. In an era of increasing global uncertainty and shifting trade relationships, these South-South cooperation initiatives offer alternative pathways for economic development.
The centre's success will likely influence similar institutional developments across the Caribbean, as other nations seek to capitalize on growing Africa-Caribbean trade and investment flows. Implementation details and timelines are expected to be announced in the coming months, as Grenada works with Dangote Group and Afreximbank to establish the centre's operational framework.
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