President of the Dangote Group of Companies, Aliko Dangote has announced plans to set up a Dangote-Oramah Center of Excellence in Grenada in honour of the outgoing President of Afreximbank and Chairman of the Board of the frontline Bank, Professor Benedict Oramah.
Dangote, announced the coming of the Center while speaking as a Panelist on the Presidential Panel titled “New World Order as an Opportunity for Strengthening Africa-Caribbean Trade, Investment, and Cultural Relations,” at the fourth AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2025) which opened Monday, July 28, 2025, in St. George’s, capital of Grenada.
The theme of ACTIF2025, which is being attended by African and Caribbean Heads of State and Government, past and present, and business leaders, big and small, has as its theme: “Resilience and Transformation: Enhancing Africa-Caribbean Economic Cooperation in an Era of Global Uncertainty.”
Africa’s richest man, Dangote, like all those who spoke on Day one of the Forum, paid glowing tribute to Prof. Oramah for all he has done for Africa since assuming the presidency of Afreximbank, and for all he has done for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the last four years.
He 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 Prime Minister of Grenada, The Honourable Dickon Amiss Thomas Mitchell thanked Dangote for the decision to locate the Center of Excellence in Grenada, and acknowledged that Professor Oramah merits such an honour, besides the honour to be conferred on him by the leaders of the CARICOM, the region’s highest honour – the Order of the Caribbean Community.
Prof. Oramah has recently received, among other international awards, the second highest national honours of Nigeria, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), conferred on him by President Bola Tinubu, and the Commander of the National Order of Chad conferred on him by Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno.
Dangote, who participated in the Grenada ACTIF 2025 Forum virtually, stressed that every effort must be made to sustain and advance the efforts made by Professor Oramah towards cementing the African Caribbean relationship through removing every obstacle to trade between them, including removal of visa restrictions, and the creation of an air corridor between Africa and CARICOM countries.
He stressed that Global Africa, Africa and its sixth region, the Diaspora, which includes the CARICOM, must work hard to break the trap of underdevelopment brought upon them, stressing that those that entrapped will not want to willingly set their hostages free. He insisted that Africa and the Caribbean must work hard to set themselves free by dismantling all obstacles on the way to their freedom.
