With less than two months remaining until the highly anticipated African Caribbean Sustainability & Investment Summit (ACSIS), scheduled for November 21-23, 2024, in London, the event is gaining significant traction. Organized by Henley Caribbean Sustainable Ventures, ACSIS is designed to unite prominent stakeholders from the African and Caribbean business sectors within the UK to explore and devise strategies for sustainable investments across multiple industries. The summit’s theme is “Leveraging the African, Caribbean, and UK Business Opportunities: Investing in a Sustainable Future.”
Entrepreneurs based in the UK with ancestral ties to Africa and the Caribbean, including nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, and Jamaica, will engage in panel discussions, roundtables, and workshops focused on best practices in four key areas: Agriculture & Agri-Business, Climate Change & Renewable Energy, ICT, Digital Economy & Cybersecurity, and Tourism.
The summit will unfold over three days at three distinct locations. The first day will feature high-level roundtable discussions titled “Business Meets Diplomacy,” which will include African and Caribbean High Commissioners and diplomatic personnel at the UK House of Lords. H.E. Johnston Busingye, the Rwandan High Commissioner to the UK, is anticipated to address the attendees, while Pooran Desai, a distinguished scientist and founder of One Planet Living (OPL), will discuss the effects of climate change on Africa and the Caribbean.
The second day will center on cybersecurity, tourism, and investment at Lloyds of London, while the third day will focus on agriculture, business-to-business meetings, and diaspora engagement, with support from Dr. Coreen Jacobs-Chester, a lecturer at the University of Guyana. The event will culminate in the ACSIS Sustainability Awards 2024.
David F. Roberts, the Chairman of ACSIS, expressed his enthusiasm regarding the interest from the eight participating nations and emphasized the significance of hosting a meaningful, solutions-oriented event. The summit is supported by the African Union Commission (AU), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission (OECS), and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CARIB-EXPORT).
Additionally, Roberts has announced a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the ASIA/AFRICA Chamber of Commerce & Industry (AACCI), a respected global entity that fosters engagement among over 100 countries, corporations, associations, and professionals across the Asian and African regions.
According to the Director – Global Alliances, Yuvaan Atreya, the partnership as “an incredible opportunity to forge links with African and Caribbean diaspora entrepreneurs in the UK, and this union sets the stage for untold possibilities in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.”
This is huge. I’m looking forward to fostering that relationship, it’s high time to educate and get our people used to trading and contributing to each other as we do with others.