Reviving the Sixth Region: A Visionary Leader Connecting Africa and the Caribbean

In an era where global fragmentation challenges unity, and where history’s injustices still echo across continents, Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Terrance M. Drew of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has emerged as a beacon of reconnection, a leader who not only acknowledges the legacy of African descent in the Caribbean but actively leverages it as a foundation for growth, diplomacy, and sustainability.

As a medical doctor, Dr. Drew has brought to politics the discipline of a scientist, the compassion of a healer, and the perspective of a global citizen with deep ancestral roots. Since taking office in August 2022, he has elevated the Federation’s role on the international stage, not just as a small island developing state, but as a proud and strategic member of the African diaspora, a vital extension of what the African Union calls the “Sixth Region.”

Dr. Drew’s selection as a recipient of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) award is not merely a personal accolade, it is a powerful recognition of his mission to bridge the historic divide between Africa and the Caribbean, and to do so with intention, diplomacy, and tangible outcomes.

A Champion of the Sixth Region of Africa

The African Union defines its “Sixth Region” as the African diaspora, the hundreds of millions of people of African descent living outside the continent. For Prime Minister Drew, this is not a symbolic designation; it is a living, breathing opportunity for cultural, political, and economic revival.

From his first months in office, Dr. Drew prioritized reconnecting St. Kitts and Nevis to Africa, and has consistently advocated for deeper ties between African and Caribbean nations, urging CARICOM leaders to embrace not just rhetorical solidarity, but institutional and economic partnerships with the African continent.

He has spoken passionately at global forums about the “unfinished bridge” between Africa and its descendants, and how rekindling those ties offers both continents a chance to share knowledge, grow trade, foster peace, and heal historical trauma. Under his leadership, St. Kitts and Nevis has embraced its African heritage not as a past to commemorate, but as a blueprint for future progress.

Strategic Diplomacy: Partnering with Afreximbank

One of Dr. Drew’s most defining moves in reconnecting the Caribbean with Africa has been the establishment of a historic and strategic partnership with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

Recognizing that economic empowerment is key to true independence and development, Prime Minister Drew spearheaded St. Kitts and Nevis’ formal engagement with Afreximbank as part of its Caribbean expansion initiative. His government quickly signed the Afreximbank Partnership Agreement and played a pivotal role in facilitating the opening of the bank’s Caribbean office, marking a bold step toward establishing financing tools and trade channels between Africa and its diaspora.

Notably, Dr. Drew personally participated in successive AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forums (ACTIF), including ACTIF2023 in Guyana and ACTIF2025, hosted in Grenada. These engagements have directly resulted in:

• The signing of Letters of Interest and investment MOUs in areas such as port development, infrastructure, creative industries, and agriculture.
• The announcement of a USD $40 million port development project with support from Afreximbank and Gemini Integrated Commodities Trading Company, aimed at positioning St. Kitts as a strategic hub for Africa-Caribbean trade.
• The acceleration of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to spur investment in renewable energy, logistics, and transportation.

For Dr. Drew, the engagement with Afreximbank is ideological. It represents a new phase of South-South cooperation, one where small island states and African nations move beyond aid-based relationships and into true mutual development.

Cultural Identity and Diaspora Diplomacy

In Dr. Drew’s leadership, culture is diplomacy. He has sought to foster stronger cultural exchanges between St. Kitts and Nevis and Africa, driven by the belief that knowing one’s roots strengthens national identity and regional solidarity.

His administration has:

• Supported diaspora initiatives, including twin-city partnerships, educational exchange programs, and calls for direct air and sea routes between Africa and the Caribbean.
• Embraced and promoted African Liberation Day and heritage celebrations within the Federation as national observances.
• Encouraged the return of African delegations, artists, and entrepreneurs to engage with communities in St. Kitts and Nevis.
• Actively championed the inclusion of African history and Afro-Caribbean identity in education, cultural policy, and foreign policy discourse.

As Prime Minister, Dr. Drew has also used his own voice and platform to underscore the value of these efforts, as deliberate steps toward reclaiming shared destiny.

Sustainable Island State Agenda: Rooted in Afro-Caribbean Sovereignty

Prime Minister Drew’s broader national vision is encapsulated in the Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA), his administration’s defining policy framework. SISA is an ambitious plan to transform St. Kitts and Nevis into a resilient, modern, and sustainable microstate by investing in seven key pillars: energy transition, economic diversification, food security, water security, smart society, sustainable industries, and social protection.

This agenda draws inspiration from, and shares parallels with, development strategies across the African continent. It is built on values of self-reliance, regional integration, climate justice, and equitable growth, and seeks partnerships that mirror those ideals.

Dr. Drew has been intentional in linking this vision to Afro-Caribbean solidarity, ensuring that St. Kitts and Nevis:

• Welcomes African expertise in geothermal, solar, and green technology.
• Engages with African research institutions on climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture.
• Positions itself as a bridge between African innovation and Caribbean realities.

By pursuing SISA through the lens of Africa-Caribbean cooperation, Dr. Drew is reframing sustainability not just as environmental stewardship, but as historical repair and future resilience.

International Advocacy and Global Presence

In just three years, Dr. Drew has firmly established St. Kitts and Nevis as a respected voice on global platforms advocating for African-descended peoples and small island states.

• At the United Nations General Assembly, he has called for reparatory justice, fair global financing, and a reconceptualization of how development is measured for historically exploited nations.
• Through engagements at the CARICOM-Africa Summit, UNCTAD, and COP summits, he has connected climate resilience, debt justice, and diaspora diplomacy to broader Afro-global priorities.
• His government’s foreign policy has consistently prioritized Africa as a strategic ally, not just a symbolic one.

A People-Centered Leader with a Global African Vision

Born to working-class parents, Dr. Drew’s journey from local son to national leader reflects the power of education, service, and ancestral pride. As a trained medical doctor and internist, he brings to leadership a rare blend of technical skill and human empathy.

He has spent his political career listening to his people, lifting the marginalized, and defending the dignity of all Kittitians and Nevisians. Yet, he has never lost sight of the broader identity of his people, as descendants of Africa, shaped by resilience and bound for greatness.

The MIPAD Lifetime Achievement and Tribute Award acknowledges more than just his policies, it honors his worldview, that descendants of Africa, no matter where they live, are architects of a shared and powerful future.

In Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Terrance M. Drew, the African world has found a true son, one who is not waiting for reconnection to happen, but working tirelessly to make it real.

His leadership affirms that the Sixth Region of Africa is not lost, but rather, it is awakening. And in that awakening lies the potential for a new generation of Afro-Caribbean transformation, with St. Kitts and Nevis standing proudly at the forefront.

As the world watches, Dr. Drew continues to walk the bridge between continents, holding the hands of the past and the future, and leading his people forward, with courage, clarity, and a deep love for the African family.