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Race To Contain Hantavirus Outbreak, Russia Kicking Off Scaled- Down WW2 Victory Day Parade; U.S. Awaits Iran's Response To Proposal To End War. Aired 03-04a ET

Aired May 09, 2026 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, wherever you are in the world. You are now in the CNN Newsroom with me, Ben Hunte in Atlanta, and it is so good to have you with me. Coming up on the show, Russia is gearing up to mark its World War II Victory Day Parade as Kyiv and Moscow agree to a three-day ceasefire. We'll head to Moscow for the latest.

Can the U.S. get a response from Iran to end the war? The White House says it could come soon. We'll have the latest for you. Plus President Trump is trying to calm nerves as countries all around the world are racing to trace and contain a Hantavirus outbreak.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Ben Hunte.

HUNTE: Welcome. Let's begin in Moscow, where a scaled down version of Russia's Victory Day Parade is just getting underway. The event marks the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. But this year, there will be no usual display of military hardware. Heavy security remains in place, all across the city, with anti-aircraft systems visible around Moscow following recent Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen is monitoring the event from Moscow, and he joins us live. It is good to see you, Fred. Can you just tell me, as this Victory Day Parade gets underway, what is standing out to you most about the atmosphere in Moscow today?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Ben. Well, it is an atmosphere that is actually quite tense, as you already mentioned, with some of those security concerns that have been around. One of the things, for instance, that we've ourselves have witnessed over the past couple of days is that the authorities have announced, and we can confirm that it's actually happened, is that the mobile phone network is actually down.

Mobile Internet is down. You can still make phone calls. However, the mobile internet is not working. We can see the parade getting underway right now. That was the clock tower of the famous Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin on Red Square as those troops are lining up.

What you see there right now is going to be the Defense Minister, and when the top generals there inspecting the parade, driving through along the parade, and then handing over the parade and oversight of the parade to Russian President Vladimir Putin. So all of that, everything that we're seeing right now on our screen is something that we would expect to see of this parade, but the tension that we're talking about is something that pertains to what you already mentioned.

The fact that this year, the Russians have announced that out of security concerns, there are not going to be the usual tanks and heavy armored vehicles that display that show of force that we've seen from the Russians in the past, like we have seen in the past, and that's due to the fact that over the past couple of weeks, we've seen a drastic increase in Ukrainian aerial campaigns, bombardments, mostly using drones of Russian critical infrastructure, like, for instance, gas and Oil installations, mostly oil installations.

And so the Russians are saying that under those circumstances, it is simply not responsible to have held a parade in the usual way, because, of course, things like tanks and armored vehicles could potentially be attacked by a swarm of drones under normal circumstances.

Now, one of the things that did happen last night is that U.S. President Donald Trump, announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on this day, and then also on Sunday and Monday, both sides have confirmed that.

Nevertheless, I can tell you, in the run up to this parade, there were some pretty tense moments where the Russians clearly threatened the Ukrainians and said that if the Victory Day Parade is attacked, that there would be severe consequences, and that the Russians would definitely then also hit large Ukrainian cities, including possible massive military strikes on the center of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

So now this parade is getting underway. We are of course, going to be monitoring the parade very closely to see what if any of those heavy vehicles are going to happen. There's going to be an aerial display as well. Certainly this one under a much different light than we normally see, the parades on Red Square, the Victory Day parades, and certainly a lot smaller than the one we saw last year, which was the 80th anniversary, and really one of the largest that we've seen in total.

So it's definitely going to be a very interesting one to watch, to see how long it goes, to see how many soldiers actually participate, and then definitely, to see what the sort of entire setup is going to be. And then, of course, one of the other things that we are also going to watch for is what Vladimir Putin is going to be saying. It's going to be a short speech by the Russian President.

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Of course, all this coming as the armed conflict with Ukraine, what the Russians still call their special military operation, continues, but at the same time, it's not really clear whether or not there is an end in sight. The Russian economy is taking a toll or is facing some issues, because things continue to go on. Also, of course, because the Russians have a lot less oil to export

because some of those installations that have been hit. Definitely a more solemn, a more difficult situation for a lot of Russians this year than on the same day last year, Ben.

HUNTE: Well, let's talk a bit more about this temporary ceasefire that is in place around Victory Day. The fact that that's even happening, what does it tell us about where the war currently stands, and could it possibly hold?

PLEITGEN: I think it's set for three days, so it's for three days, it could certainly very much hold. But we have to see also the setup of this ceasefire. It's one that was brokered by the United States. Both sides have acknowledged that this was President Trump's idea, and that it was him who brokered the ceasefire between the Russians and the Ukrainians.

But both sides have a sort of different vision of the ceasefire, or why they went into the ceasefire. The Russians are saying that for them, the event that you're seeing right now, the Victory Day Parade, and generally Victory Day parades that you see across Russia, are extremely important. They don't want that to be disrupted again. They threatened the Ukrainians with massive retaliation if it was to be disrupted.

For the Ukrainians, they say that for them, look, this parade is not that important. What for them is important is the second part of that ceasefire, which is a massive prisoner exchange that's also happening between the Russians and the Ukrainians. It is a 1000 for 1000 prisoner exchange, meaning 1000 Russians get released for 1000 Ukrainians.

And that being on the table, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said, was extremely important to him, and was the reason why the Ukrainians, in the end, agreed to the ceasefire. Right now we're actually seeing the Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov enter Red Square in that open top vehicle.

He's going to be riding along that parade, inspecting the parade, and then finally handing the oversight of that parade over to Russian President Vladimir Putin then.

HUNTE: OK, thank you so much, Fred Pleitgen in. Moscow. We appreciate it.

PLEITGEN: Thank you.

HUNTE: Onwards, let's bring in Nigel Gould-Davies. He's joining us live from London now. He is a Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Thank you for being with me. Sir, I appreciate it. Victory Day is always massively symbolic in Russia, but this year's parade is apparently scaled back as we're just speaking to Fred there. What's going on?

NIGEL GOULD-DAVIES, SENIOR FELLOW FOR RUSSIA & EURASIA, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: It's a very striking development. This is the -- in effect, the most important holiday, certainly the political holiday of the entire calendar in Russia, and a focus of unity or regime attempts to instill unity across the country. The fact that it's being scaled back in this radical way is as much as anything, a sign of Russia's weakness, its anxiety and fear that this important event could be severely disrupted by Ukraine's growing capabilities in carrying out these long range strikes.

And we heard from your correspondent, a moment ago that Russia has been threatening Ukraine with severe consequences if Ukraine were to try to disrupt this parade. In effect, what that really signals is a kind of weakness on the part of the Kremlin. They are, in effect, asking, almost pleading with Ukraine not to -- not to disrupt this parade.

That is part of a larger story, I would say, of a palpable darkening of mood in Moscow over the past few months, as in a number of respects, this war increasingly turns against it.

HUNTE: We also know that security around these celebrations is very tight right now. What does that tell us about the atmosphere in Moscow at the moment?

GOULD-DAVIES: Yes, yeah. I mean, again, your correspondent used a good word, tense. So it's not only that there are anxieties in the Kremlin about the disruption of this event. It's the fact that it's Moscow itself. The Kremlin has worked hard to try to insulate the capital city from the effects of the war since Russia launched its large scale invasion. For example, it's tried to avoid getting people from Moscow to join up in the war.

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But we've seen signs now that the war is really coming home to Russia, and just a few weeks ago, for a period of about three weeks, there's a severe internet blackout imposed on the capital. That's being repeated today, and that's a sign that Russia is now increasingly aware of the fact it cannot avoid this war coming home to the capital city.

This will be a tense day for the Kremlin. They will be very much hoping that Ukraine observes this ceasefire, as I expect it to, but the fact that Russia realizes it can do relatively little, that it's really in the gift of Ukraine now to decide whether or not, to attack and disrupt this fundamental event, celebration for Russia.

Again, is a sign of how badly this war is going. And the final point I'd make here is that the number of foreign officials and heads of state who are visiting is very much scaled down as well. It was nearly 30 heads of state who visited last year. Now it's down to barely a handful.

HUNTE: We also know that there are restrictions on international media access this year. How significant is that? You're surprised to see that kind of change?

GOULD-DAVIES: Yes, international media is, of course, an opportunity for a flow of news increasingly unwelcome to Russia, to flow out to the rest of the world, to see in various ways, how this war is affecting a Russia. The nightmare scenario for the Kremlin would be some form of disruption of the of the celebration that was broadcast with the vivid imagery that would accompany that around the world.

That would be a dreadful humiliation. So it's one further defensive and anxious measure that the Kremlin is taking. And again, all of this, I think, symbolizes how badly the war is going. Putin has repeatedly evoked the spirit of the Second World War in trying to justify this aggressive invasion of Ukraine.

The irony now is that war is going so badly that his own celebrations at home of the Second World War now have to be curtailed in these radical ways.

HUNTE: OK, thank you so much for that insight. We really appreciate that. Nigel Gould-Davies in London. Sure, we'll speak to you again very soon. Thank you.

Onwards, the U.S. awaits word on a proposal that's intended to end the war with Iran as the two sides exchange fire around the Strait of Hormuz. We'll tell you where things stand after this break. See you in a moment.

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HUNTE: Welcome back. The U.S. is waiting for Iran to respond to its proposal to end the 10 week conflict. On Friday, President Trump said he would supposedly get an answer by the end of the day. As of now, it's not clear whether he actually has. A fragile ceasefire does remain in place, but both sides have continued to exchange fire all around the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. military said on Friday, it disabled two Iranian flagged oil tankers trying to bypass its blockade. All of this as Trump considers resuming the short lived operation, Project Freedom, that guided ships through the waterway.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Project Freedom is good. We were asked not to do that by Pakistan. He's our friend, as you know, the Prime Minister and the Field Marshal. But I think Project Freedom is good. But I think we have other ways of doing it. Also, we may go back to Project Freedom if things don't happen, but it'll be Project Freedom Plus meaning Project Freedom plus other things.

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HUNTE: Meanwhile, Iranian officials gave an update on Iran's Supreme Leader, who hasn't been seen in public for months. Let's keep talking about it. Bring in, Bijan Hosseini, standing by for us in Doha. Bijan, good to see you again. Thank you for being with me. What else you hearing this morning as all of this continues to develop? There's so much going on.

BIJAN HOSSEINI, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, Ben, and as you mentioned, a very intense waiting period as the U.S. awaits that response from Iran. We also heard from U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio yesterday, who said Iran could be taking their time because their government is highly dysfunctional, highly fractured, is the words that he used. And we do know that it does take some time in Iran.

There are many players that want to have their voice at play inside the country, the IRGC, the generals, the President and, of course, Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. We know it was just a bit more than two months ago when an air strike killed his father and severely injured him, but now we're getting new updates about his health. Let's take a listen to that.

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MAZAHER HOSSEINI, HEAD OF PROTOCOL, OFFICE OF IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER (through translator): Mr. Mojtaba was affected by the blast wave. His foot was slightly injured, as well as his lower back. His lower back has already improved, and his foot will heal soon. He is now in complete health.

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HOSSEINI: Now, if true, this is a very big development. We know that Iran's President, Masoud Pezeshkian met directly with Iran's new Supreme Leader this week, so it's quite interesting to see that take place. In the past, his messages have been delivered through handwritten messages via couriers to protect his whereabouts and his location as he's been on the mend, returning to good health, but he will obviously have to give the green light for any proposal that Iran does send back to the U.S.

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But every day that passes then is a day for more intense tit for tat in the Strait, as we've been seeing taking place. It's also a chance for more intense rhetoric. We heard from an Iranian hardline lawmaker that said the U.S. naval blockade could warrant a military pressure from Iran, military force from Iran. So that's something everyone will be waiting to see.

Meanwhile, around the Gulf, the UAE Ministry of Defense said that they have been battering off attacks from Iran all week, Monday, Tuesday and even yesterday, attacks from Iran, missile and drone attacks that injured three people. And here in Qatar, their Prime Minister was in Washington, D.C. meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance yesterday, discussing regional stability.

As we know, Qatar has been a mediator between the two countries for many, many years, so many people in the region waiting to see Iran's response, Ben. HUNTE: OK. Bijan, thank you so much for that. Appreciate it. Onwards,

U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio is downplaying the planned withdrawal of 5000 U.S. troops from Germany. The Pentagon announced the reduction last week. Rubio says it was pre-planned and not related to President Trump's criticism of NATO for not supporting the war with Iran. On Friday, Mr. Trump hinted at where the troops could go next.

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REPORTER: If you decide to pull troops from Germany, will you move them to Poland, or maybe some other countries on the eastern flank?

TRUMP: Well, Poland would like that. We have a great relationship with Poland, so that's possible.

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HUNTE: The Pentagon says the withdrawal should be complete over the next six to 12 months. Germany hosts about 35,000 active duty U.S. military service members, and that is more than anywhere else in Europe.

That cruise ship at the center of a deadly Hantavirus outbreak is expected to arrive in Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday. The 17 Americans on board will be transported to a quarantine unit at a Nebraska Medical Center, where the CDC will monitor them for symptoms. Doctors say it can take up to eight weeks after exposure for Hantavirus symptoms to appear.

Health officials worldwide are scrambling to track the outbreak, and they do expect more cases to emerge in the coming weeks. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau joins us from Rome with the latest on the outbreak. Barbie, just break down for us. What is next for the cruise ship? What is happening at the moment?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, you know, they're expecting the cruise ship to reach Tenerife on the Canary Islands on early hours of Sunday morning. That's, of course, subject to change. They say, because of weather conditions. There are some storms coming. They're going to have to disembark everyone by Tuesday, they tell us.

And once they arrive at the port, they aren't going to just pull, you know, be docked on land. They're going to be anchored inside the port, and they'll be met by various health officials on smaller boats. Then there's going to be sort of, what they tell us is three different distinct areas, one for the passengers, of course, there'll be some bureaucratic issues they've got to deal with before they're repatriated.

One where the health authorities will change their protective gear, you know, very much reminiscent of COVID. And then there'll be a buffer zone. And that's something that is of relief, I guess, to the people of the Canary Islands who are very concerned that the ship is docking at, really, what is the height of the -- or the beginning of what will soon be the height of the tourist season there? So it's very well organized, but there are a lot of uncertainties. And

it seems reminiscent, you know, of COVID with cruise ships and quarantines, but they tell us it's a very different sort of virus, Ben.

HUNTE: OK. Barbie Latza Nadeau, thank you so much for that. Appreciate it. Onwards, the hard right reform UK party is surging in England's local elections, and the governing Labor Party is struggling, casting doubt on Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ability to hold on to power.

Preliminary results do show leader, Nigel Farage's Reform Party gaining more than 1000 council seats, while Labor actually lost a similar amount. And that trend has only continued as more votes are counted. Starmer vows to stay on and fight for change, but the number suggests he's lost the confidence of many voters.

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VRISH SHRIVASTAVA, BANKING PROFESSIONAL: I guess people have to look for other avenues in the political landscape, I guess people have to look for other avenues in the political landscape. Reform has come up as well. They're promising big things. Not sure how much I agree with in many instances, but I think people just want a different -- different viewpoint, different outlook, and different execution, I guess.

MARY MOORE, NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE WORKER: I'm horrified that Nigel Farage is making gains. I don't think he's a politician. I think he's a businessman who's there to line his own pockets, like a lot of them, not just him, and I'm not really into politics, but it's just horrifying to me that he's gaining so much.

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HUNTE: Britain's King Charles was a part of a unique video birthday message to nature broadcaster, David Attenborough. Attenborough, who celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday, wow, has been friends with the King for nearly seven decades now. Charles' video appears to show animals that are native to the UK delivering a hand written birthday card.

The clip aired during a celebration of David Attenborough's life at London's Royal Albert Hall. Have a look at this.

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PRINCE CHARLES III, KING OF UNITED KINGDOM: Dear David, my wife and I are delighted to learn that you will be celebrating your 100th birthday on May 8th, and wanted to send you our warmest congratulations on such a special occasion. It is amazing to think that you and I have known one another for more than 60 years. The urgent need to protect and preserve this precious planet of ours and all life on Earth for future generations. Thank you then for all that you have done and on behalf of the whole nation, I wish you a very happy 100th birthday.

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HUNTE: Love that. Fans of Marilyn Monroe will have the chance to own a piece of Hollywood history. A trove of items from the screen icon's personal collection is heading to auction on June 1, to coincide with what would have been her 100th birthday. Items up for sale include clothing, jewelry and paintings. Auctioneers say the buzz around the sale is already building.

OK, that's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. Of course, I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. Connecting Africa is up next, and I will see you tomorrow at the same time. Bye.

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VICTORIA RUBADIRI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to Connecting Africa. I'm Victoria Rubadiri, coming to you from Abuja, Nigeria. This month, we're at the Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit to explore the budding trade links between Africa and the Caribbean, and how it's creating lots of economic opportunities.

Through a shared history, culture and heritage, leaders, executives and entrepreneurs have gathered here to share ideas, negotiate and strike deals that could potentially unlock billions in trading opportunities between Africa and the Caribbean.

VIKELL EDWARDS DOUGLAS, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS: We are bridging the gap, creating that (inaudible) we can connect. If we continue to integrate more, we can make things so much easier. So I guess the summit for me is the opening. So this being used as a catalyst could also create other opportunities.

RUBADIRI: Why is this connection between the continent and the Caribbean so important?

TURQUOISA HENRY, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS: This is the motherland, of course, and you guys have a significant influence on the Caribbean community, so many things are similar, and I think that once we are integrated, the community can definitely be stronger in culture, history, food, agriculture, and so many other things.

RUBADIRI: Ayesha Maina is the brains behind this summit. Having led delegations to the Caribbean, she believes providing the opportunity to meet face to face is the pathway to creating a tangible trade link.

AISHA MAINA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AQUARIAN CONSULT: When you go to the Caribbean or you go anywhere in the world, they talk about African drums, they have the African dances, but because they're so far away from Africa, it's what has been handed down, and I wanted them to see the real thing, you know what we still have. So we went. Now in St. Kitts and Nevis, there was business expo.

So the businesspeople were able to showcase their wares, and they sold out. It has become a flourishing relationship, and that's why I keep saying that the bridge is built, right, because they have connected. So that's why I did it, because we have to do more than talk about a problem.

RUBADIRI: The International Trade Center says if the right opportunities are tapped into, Africa and the Caribbean could be trading $1.7 billion per year with each other by 2030. From agriculture to financial services, the organization of Eastern Caribbean States says no sector should be overlooked if new partnerships are to be formed.

SANYA ALLEYNE, ADVISOR, OECS BUSINESS COUNCIL: The discourse really has been centering around agricultural trade all right and agro process goods trade. Also the potential for the services sector in the area of tourism and financial services. In terms of the agricultural sector, there is an opportunity for the Caribbean to show up its food and nutrition security by being able to import green and other agricultural products from the continent of Africa, and also act as a trans-shipment hub for Central and South America as well. In terms of the trading services, is great opportunity for tourism, right?

Bilateral tourism, whether it be from persons from the continent coming to the Caribbean, and person in the Caribbean coming to the continent, and being able to explore more in terms of the cultural and heritage aspects of tourism, as well as benefiting also from the ecological tourism that exists, right? In financial services, investment is big, right?

There's great opportunity the Caribbean has a long standing history in being able to attract foreign direct investment, and the same goes for the continent of Africa. It is just about being able now to drill down into the, you know, the weeds of it, and being able to flesh out a framework that we can be able to facilitate greater trade.

RUBADIRI: Some MOUs, trade deals have been already signed, but that trade link is still quite subdued, as you said earlier. What's really getting in the way, do you think?

SANYA ALLEYNE: There have been MOUs. That doesn't necessarily facilitate trade. What we are missing is a either a partial scope agreement or a full trade agreement or free trade arrangement.

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Whether it be in trading goods, trading services and possibly having a framework for investment, whether it be that we do bilateral investment treaties, or we, in fact, have a full on investment chapter. But then we also have to be realistic. We have to look at the barriers. And I think that's what we were trying to get at.

And one of those key barriers would be logistics. Being able to move goods and persons between the continent and the Caribbean, whether it be via air or sea.

RUBADIRI: If you're looking ahead 10 years from now, what does success look like for you? SANYA ALLEYNE: I think 10 years from now, success would be regular

commercial flights between the continent and the region. I think success would be being able to trade in our indigenous currencies to settle payments. And I also believe success would be the ability of our peoples to understand each other, become closer and see ourselves as one.

RUBADIRI: Coming up how the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago is expanding its footprint on the continent.

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RUBADIRI: Welcome back. Trinidad and Tobago previously sent a cohort of entrepreneurs and officials to Africa to strengthen its trade ties with the continent. Eleni Giokos reports on how the country is working to ease the movement of people and goods between the two regions, and hopes other countries will follow.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Warm waters, lush forests and a booming industrial footprint. The twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is an economic powerhouse as it's one of the main energy producers within the Caribbean region.

SEKOU ALLEYNE, CEO, GLOBAL TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Trinidad and Tobago is primarily an oil and gas and energy services economy. About half or a little bit more of our economy is based on oil and gas exports as well as downstream energy.

GIOKOS: The country is paving the way when it comes to trading with Africa. The International Trade Center, a joint agency of the UN and WTO, says Trinidad and Tobago accounts for a third of all Caribbean exports to Africa.

SEKOU ALLEYNE: Trinidad and Tobago is exporting around $232 million U.S. dollars into Africa, again, primarily in the oil and gas and chemical sector, given that the strength of our economy and primarily into North, South and West Africa. We are importing just around 16 U.S. million dollars of goods, some hard goods like vehicles, iron and steel, plastics, but also some agricultural products like coffees and teas as well.

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GIOKOS: Global Trinidad and Tobago, the island's Trade and Investment Agency helps facilitate and attract trade and new investments for the country. Its CEO says they're now focused on growing non-energy sectors to expand global exports, which includes partnerships with Africa.

SEKOU ALLEYNE: We are looking at growing those other sectors of the economy, like manufacturing, agro-processing, tourism, ICT, digital services, film, fashion, music, etc.

GIOKOS: In 2024, more than 50 people representing various sectors from Trinidad and Tobago went on a trade mission to Ghana. SEKOU ALLEYNE: Africa presents a brand new opportunity for us,

obviously, given the large population in Africa and the growth of that population, the young nature, the demographic and the growth and, of course, lots of persons middle moving into the middle class that need to consume goods and services. There was just a very strong feeling of comfort and giving people that exposure and that experience, I think, brings that historical and cultural connection a lot closer, and brings it up to modern times.

And so we then identify very specific areas and sectors that we can trade and co-invest in through the bilateral investment treaty, so they can build on the foundation of our historical and cultural connections and then increase that trade and collaboration as we move forward.

ISHMAHIEEL ALI, TRADE SPECIALIST, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION: It was an eye opener to our companies.

GIOKOS: One of the trips organizers, the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association, or TTMA, says Ghana is a natural entry point to the continent at large.

ALI: It opens up not just Ghana, but also that Western Pacific of Africa. We are talking about Nigeria, we're talking about Congo, and it's both ways. We are part of a very changing landscape of global trajectory where we are looking for new markets for source -- sourcing of your raw materials. So getting into Africa and Ghana is very -- is very much important to us.

GIOKOS: TTMA works with its 750 members, including companies like farm and function, to help them break into new markets.

RACHEL RENIE GONZALES, CO-FOUNDER, FARM AND FUNCTION: It's about market perception. And you know, I think the group has an idea of the Caribbean, or they have an idea of the continent or African countries. And you know, we have to dispel those preconceived notions. And with that more information and more opportunity, I'm getting actual data and consumption, and you know where the opportunities are.

GIOKOS: Farm and Function says it works with more than 300 local farmers and has expanded its product line to 120 different types of food offerings. To accommodate this growth, the company is opening a new packaging facility.

RENIE GONZALES: It's about expanding our R&D pipeline, getting that compliance, but we were able to sell in the last three months, let's say what we would normally sell in a year. We've actually sold in the last three months.

GIOKOS: While Trinidad and Tobago has an international airport and vast port access, business leaders say they still need to overcome shipping and logistic hurdles.

SEKOU ALLEYNE: Two of the major challenges in trading with Africa are the lack of direct air and maritime connectivity, and so it's difficult to get there. It takes a long time. You have to go through either North America, Europe, both in shipping lines and in traveling ourselves.

The last Ghana trade mission, we would have traveled through Amsterdam at that time. If there was a direct flight, it would be a five to six hour flight, and you would be in Accra in Ghana.

GIOKOS: As the country explores bilateral trade agreements with Ghana, they're hopeful Afri- Caribbean trade will flourish and be replicated across the Caribbean.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are small, however, we have such experience and brilliant minds that are always looking for new markets, always looking to be able to produce more, to be able to put our products over there, a bit more. So I do foresee great things within the next five years.

RUBADIRI: Still to come, the Caribbean Auto Repair Company vying to become a major manufacturer of car batteries within Africa.

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RUBADIRI: Welcome back to Connecting Africa. I'm Victoria Rubadiri in Abuja, Nigeria. From ships to cars, the automotive industry in the Caribbean is eyeing expansion into Africa. Eleni Giokos looks at how Trinidad and Tobago-based Nu Wave Automotive is planning to build a battery assembly plant in Ghana.

GIOKOS: When it comes to cars, new wave automotive knows a thing or two about the industry.

MICHAEL SEALEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR & FOUNDER, NU WAVE AUTOMOTIVE LTD: We offer every service in in the automotive industry, maintenance of vehicles, leasing services, rental, repairs and also distribution.

GIOKOS: What began in 2015 as a car rental service in Trinidad and Tobago quickly evolved to become a maintenance hub and one of the leading internal combustion engine, car battery distributors across the Caribbean. After attending a 2024 trade mission to Ghana, the company says it's now ready to expand into the African market.

SEALEY: One of the major takeaways was scale and then opportunity that really gave us a point to really pivot the business into a larger market.

GIOKOS: The company says it's investing about $50 million into building a battery manufacturing facility in Ghana's Tema industrial area.

SEALEY: One of the thing we do is distribute batteries. So in -- when we went to the trade mission, one of the main projects was to export batteries to Ghana. And when we met with several persons, we recognized that Ghana imports their batteries. So there was a clear opportunity to manufacture and assemble batteries.

GIOKOS: Nu Wave says that in ECOWAS, an economic union of 15 countries in West Africa, the car battery market size is $150 million. The company says to further tap into this market, it wants to limit Ghana's reliance on importing batteries by providing local manufacturing alternatives. Nu Wave says its goal is to have the plants up and running by the middle of next year.

SEALEY: The equipment we have already procured, we have already identified the warehouse space, so now it's just go to the process of just the fine details to get the installation, the training and so ongoing.

GIOKOS: Once operating at full capacity, the company says they'll be able to produce a million batteries a year and employ up to 1500 people, directly and indirectly.

SEALEY: Because Ghana has in excess of 3.2 million gas and well petrol vehicles, we are starting with lead acid batteries for cars and SUVs and trucks, generators and that type of thing. I mean, the plan is to move on to lithium later on. To start, we're looking at between 70,000 to 100,000 batteries per month.

We're not limiting ourselves to where we can export it to. But because Ghana is so huge, a lot of the product will be used in Ghana and the neighboring West African countries.

GIOKOS: But for the Managing Director, this is just the beginning.

SEALEY: For far too long, there has been this gap between the Caribbean and Africa, right? In Trinidad here we have major manufacturers, major the major brands all over the world, but for some reason, they never entered the Ghanaian market. So we saw an opportunity there to set up a company in Ghana and in Trinidad that could help bridge that gap.

GIOKOS: Michael Sealey and his business partner Roger Roach created Catema Distribution and logistics to help other businesses explore opportunities within the African marketplace.

[03:50:00]

ROGER ROACH, CEO, CATEMA DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTICS: Oh, I will view the current landscape as one big gap that is begging to be filled between the Caribbean and Africa. If we have a Caribbean company that's already doing well in the Caribbean, doing well in the diaspora, has the technical ability, the manufacturing, know-how and investment dollars, then West Africa presents a credible opportunity for your brand and for your next growth opportunity.

So I ask, well, where is your next phase of growth going to come from? And the answer is simple. The answer is Africa.

GIOKOS: He says, Catema is currently helping six Caribbean companies navigate regulatory processes and source local distributors on the continent.

ROACH: We look for brands with excess production capacity. We also look for brands who have experience in exporting. We also look for brands that, when you look at their labels, their packaging, it can meet, let's say, the Ghana FDA standards for products to enter into Ghana.

So we're working with companies in biscuits, confectioneries and snacks. We're working with both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. We work with companies in chemicals and personal care, and we work with companies in cosmetics.

GIOKOS: While one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is streamlining transportation and logistics between regions, they say creating a trade link with Africa is worth the challenge.

ROACH: But the biggest opportunity really is the sheer scale and size of the market right that that we're going to get for our products, products that we believe strongly will be easily accepted once it is competitive, once you pass all the regulations, and once it can be exported throughout the region.

So Ghana is the starting point, but -- but West Africa is the opportunity, and then the great Africa, because of the entire continental Free Trade Agreement.

SEALEY: There's a lot of synergies between Trinidad and Ghana. And you know, we just want to -- want to make it happen. You know, you have to move from conceptualization to actualization. We want to be trendsetters. We want to be game changers. We want to be the first Caribbean company to really have a huge impact in Africa, starting with Ghana.

RUBADIRI: Still to come the budding trade ties between Africa and Eastern Caribbean nations.

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RUBADIRI: Welcome back, efficient and cost effective transportation is crucial in improving the movement of services and goods between Africa and the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, the organization of Eastern Caribbean States, or OECS, is a group of 12 member countries who are working to make the movement of goods, services and people easier between themselves.

Its Director General says, with such similar cultural ties, it's a natural progression to look for opportunities to trade within Africa.

DIDACUS JULES, DIRECTOR GENERAL, ORGANIZATION OF EASTERN CARIBBEAN STATES: There's always been a union for closer connections between the Caribbean and Africa because of our shared history. Given the geopolitics of the world today, it is very clear to us that we need to deepen -- we talk about the Global South, it is absolutely essential that we not rely on external entities to provide for us.

[03:55:00]

That we need to do everything we can to assure our own sovereignty and independence. For us in the OECS, the challenge is, if no one is coming to save us, what are we doing to save ourselves? And this initiative here in Abuja is a perfect example of that.

This is the second time that this is being held, and it is a really great opportunity to speak in concrete terms of what can be done to bridge that divide.

RUBADIRI: This summit was held last year, we saw some MOUs, some deals that came out of that, but not much in terms of raising the trade links or the trade volumes between both regions. How do we unlock that truly?

JULES: You can't have trade without a physical means of moving unless you talk in digital trade, which, too is an area of opportunity that we are exploring. We also have some very innovative ideas on what we can do to boost Caribbean trade with Africa. So for example, there are certain products we have that are unique.

Grenada, for example, is known as the Isle of spice and Grenadian spices and cocoa and so on, are high value, quality agricultural products. There's no way that we can for the scale and size of Africa, and we need to recognize the asymmetry of size and scale between us as small islands and even, say, any one African country.

So the idea is that we are going to look at opportunities for joint venture with Africa. Can we find, for example, land in Africa that is suitable for certain unique agricultural products that we have buy or lease 200,000 -- 300,000 acres of land, propagate and plant in Africa, and right there, we serve the African market when you need it -- without even having to transport it across the Atlantic.

RUBADIRI: A decade from now, what is a thriving Africa-Caribbean relationship look like for you?

JULES: Certainly a large degree of free movement of people. So Antigua and Barbuda, for example, has done some major work with the deep water port. St. Vincent and the Grenadines have done work. And so it is a question of coordinating the flow of traffic across the OECS, the Eastern Caribbean.

And I don't think that would be a problem, because the more capacity we have, the better it would be. And for us, in the OECS, as the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, driving the free movement of people, free transfer of goods and services, what we would like to see happen is a net -- these ports operate as a network, right with a division of labor in terms of the flow of products. So we need to have it well organized so that there's optimization of the opportunity.

RUBADIRI: And that's it for this month's Connecting Africa. Coming to you from Abuja, Nigeria, I'm Victoria Rubadiri. Until next month, let's keep on connecting.

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