Bahamas News
Minister Asks Students to Provide Solutions to Challenges at Launch of Sustainable Nassau Project
#Bahamas, February 3, 2018 – Nassau – Minister of Transport and Local Government, the Hon. Frankie Campbell asked students to prepare themselves to serve their communities and provide solutions to challenges. The Minister was speaking during the launch of the Sustainable Nassau Project held at the Harry C. Moore Library of the University of The Bahamas on Thursday, February 1. The event was held under the theme, ‘Empowered People, Revitalized City.”
“You have the vision, the energy and the exposure necessary to make a tremendous impact on the way we do business here in The Bahamas. Through the IDB’s work with the Office of the Prime Minister, we have invited the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to lead you through a process of solving a real challenge of your choosing. I urge you to take advantage of this amazing opportunity,” said Mr. Campbell
“Despite what my generation may tell you, your impatience can in fact serve you well as you demand action and results at a faster pace than has been traditionally accepted. I implore you to be curious, innovative and inventive. Take advantage of the greatest resource you have here at the University of The Bahamas: collective knowledge and creativity, to build the modern Bahamas you want to see.”
The Minister said that in late 2017, the Ministry of Education and the Over-the-Hill project within the Office of the Prime Minister distributed over 100 tablets to the Willard Patton Pre-School in the Bain Town area. The aim of the project, he said, was to use technology to improve how education is delivered.
“Thus far the program is already delivering positive results. This represents the beginning of implementing the Smart City Solutions outlined in the Sustainable Nassau Action Plan,” said Mr. Campbell. He said that as the country moves to become a “smarter” country, it is necessary to identify the innovations that are needed to take the country there.
“Perhaps an app that provides drivers with real-time information on traffic and parking availability. Or an app that disseminates emergency alerts and critical information to mobile phones within an impacted geographic area. How about a central command center to coordinate it all? Think of the time you could save by having kiosks located throughout our islands that facilitated driver’s license renewals, and payment of traffic tickets. All of these things exist and can become a reality here in The Bahamas,” said the Minister.
He also spoke of the need for, and how it would assist in, the proper and equitable management of resources.
“Heavily central government structures have often proven themselves too slow and too bureaucratic to adapt and take advantage of these innovations. Therefore, if we are to be successful in making drastic improvements to the quality of life of our citizens and residents, we must empower people to be part of this process of change. The communities that are to be most impacted must have the greatest say and greatest ownership of the prescribed solutions to their problems. The only way to make this happen is through new, more localized, governance models.”
He said that this new model of government administration is already taking shape with legislation currently being drafted to create an agency tasked with managing the development of the Over-the-Hill Community of Nassau.
“Imagine if this model were expanded to include the entire island so as to ensure that development is managed with people at the center!” He exclaimed.
He said that the introduction of true local government here in New Providence and throughout the country would provide a framework for the delivery of high quality services to residents and businesses with effective checks and balances.
“It would allow neighborhoods and districts to decide how to budget scarce resources to best serve them and meet their needs. Increased transparency regarding revenues raised and expenditures would be accompanied by a transfer of resources and responsibilities away from central government to elected and accountable district governments. The Government of The Bahamas is committed to moving the concept of local government in New Providence from plans to reality within the next three years. To this end, the Department of Local Government is working closely with the Office of the Prime Minister to take this initiative forward.”
Photo Captions:
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Minister of Transport and Local Government, the Hon.Frankie Campbell greets President of the University of the Bahamas, Dr. Rodney Smith as Country Representative for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mrs. Florencia Attademo-Hirt looks on. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson)
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Minister of Transport and Local Government, the Hon. Frankie Campbell listens to a panelist. Also pictured l-r: Director, Code Next, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Colin ‘Topper’ Carew; Country Representative for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mrs. Florencia Attademo-Hirt; Minister of Education, the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd; President of the University of the Bahamas, Dr. Rodney Smith; and Chief, Housing & Urban Development Division, IDB, Ms. Tatiana Gallego Lizon. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson).
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Country Representative for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mrs. Florencia Attademo-Hirt presents a brochure to Minister of Transport and Local Government, the Hon. Frankie Campbell. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson).
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Minister of Transport and Local Government, the Hon. Frankie Campbell delivering the keynote address at the launch of the Sustainable Nassau Project. The event was held on February 1, 2018 at the Harry C. Moore Library of the University of The Bahamas. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson)
Bahamas News
Dredging Is Not Just About Size — It Is About What Is Being Destroyed, Warns Save Exuma Alliance Regarding Yntegra’s Proposed Rosewood Resort
Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) — a coalition of Central Exuma business owners, tour operators and residents — has warned that the issue of dredging in the North Bay of Sampson Cay, Exuma, is not just about the number of acres being dredged – but what exists within the proposed dredge area. SEA describes the site as an ecological treasure trove filled with seagrass, coral, turtles and abundant marine life.
This comes after foreign developer Yntegra agreed to reduce the scope of its dredging following government warnings that it would impact
The Bahamas carbon credit status, which shows the importance of the marine habitat.
“It is easy to point to other developments and say they are dredging more, but that is not comparing like with like,” SEA said in response to comparisons made by Yntegra. “If one area is largely sand with little marine life, that is very different from what we have in North Bay. Anyone who has spent time there can tell you it is filled with turtles, fish, and — critically — the seagrass and coral that provide essential habitat.”
Miami-based investment group Yntegra is seeking to construct a large-scale Rosewood-branded resort on Sampson Cay. Since its announcement, the project has generated environmental, social and economic concerns among residents and business operators in Central Exuma.
The proposed development includes dredging in North Bay, construction of a substantial seawall that would alter natural water flow, more than 100 structures, two mega yacht marinas, and an industrial dock serviced by fuel and supply ships in an area currently used by swimmers. Opponents argue that the scale and design of Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project are incompatible with the fragile ecosystem and cultural character of the Central Exumas.
SEA noted that the government’s Climate Change Unit has also raised concerns about the environmental cost of dredging associated with Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project.
“The government has acknowledged that this is an area of significant importance,” SEA said. “While the financial implications are serious, for us here in Exuma this is about more than money. It underscores how valuable this marine ecosystem is — the seagrass, coral and marine life that make Exuma exceptional. This is what attracts visitors from around the world. We should not minimize the concern by comparing this bay to areas that do not have the same remarkable underwater ecosystem. It is simply not the same.”
Experienced boat captain Tito Baldwin also questioned the feasibility of the marine infrastructure proposed as part of this plan. He warned
that the dredging currently outlined would not be sufficient to accommodate the vessels required to service the project.
“It’s going to have to be at least four times larger than what has been proposed,” Baldwin said. “As designed, it is beyond possibility.”
He explained that vessels supplying fuel, construction materials and provisions for a projected 300-person workforce would require significantly greater depth and maneuvering space.
“For supply vessels delivering hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel, you’re looking at ships with a 10-foot draft,” Baldwin said. “To operate safely, you would need at least 13 feet of depth. That means dredging far deeper than what has been proposed. With currents running east and west in that area, you would also need a much wider turning basin to maneuver safely. As it stands, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.”
SEA is urging individuals concerned about the environmental impact of dredging connected to Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project to visit www.saveexumaalliance.org for more information. A petition calling for a halt to approvals is also available on the site, with more than 7,100 signatures collected to date.
PM: Project delivers on promise and invests in youth, sports and national development
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Calling it the fulfillment of a major commitment to the island, Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official groundbreaking for the Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre, a facility the government says will transform sports development and create new opportunities for young athletes.
Speaking at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on February 12, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than bricks and mortar
— it is an investment in people, national pride and long-term economic activity. The planned complex will feature a modern 50-metre competition pool, designed to meet international standards for training and regional and global swim meets. Davis said the facility will give Bahamian swimmers a home capable of producing world-class performance while also providing a space for community recreation, learn-to-swim programmes and water safety training.
He noted that Grand Bahama has long produced outstanding athletes despite limited infrastructure and said the new centre is intended to correct that imbalance, positioning the island as a hub for aquatic sports and sports tourism.
The Prime Minister also linked the development to the broader national recovery and revitalisation of Grand Bahama, describing the project as part of a strategy to expand opportunities for young people, create jobs during construction and stimulate activity for small businesses once operational.
The Aquatic Centre, he said, stands as proof that promises made to Grand Bahama are being delivered.
The project is expected to support athlete development, attract competitions, and provide a safe, modern environment for residents to access swimming and water-based programmes for generations to come.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, February 15, 2026 – For the better part of three years, Bahamians have been told that major Afreximbank financing would help transform access to capital, rebuild infrastructure and unlock economic growth across the islands. The headline figures are large. The signing ceremonies are high profile. The language is ambitious. What remains far harder to see is the measurable impact in the daily lives of the people those announcements are meant to serve.
The Government’s push to secure up to $100 million from Afreximbank for roughly 200 miles of Family Island roads dates back to 2025. In
its February 11 disclosure, the bank outlined a receivables-discounting facility — a structure that allows a contractor to be paid early once work is completed, certified and invoiced, with the Government settling the bill later. It is not cash placed into the economy upfront. It does not, by itself, build a single mile of road. Every dollar depends on work first being delivered and approved.
The wider framework has been described as support for “climate-resilient and trade-enhancing infrastructure,” a phrase that, in practical terms, should mean projects that lower the cost of doing business, move people and goods faster, and keep the economy functioning. But for communities, that promise becomes real only when the projects are named, the standards are defined and a clear timeline is given for when work will begin — and when it will be finished.
Bahamians have seen this moment before.
In 2023, a $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Bahamas Development Bank was hailed as a breakthrough that would expand access to financing for local enterprise. It worked in one immediate and measurable way: it encouraged businesses to apply. Established, revenue-generating Bahamian companies responded to the call, prepared plans, and entered a process they believed had been capitalised to support growth. The unanswered question is how much of that capital has reached the private sector in a form that allowed those businesses to expand, hire and generate new economic activity.
Because development is not measured in the size of announcements.
It is measured in loans disbursed, projects completed and businesses expanded.
The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. In June 2024, when Afreximbank held its inaugural Caribbean Annual Meetings in Nassau,
Grand Bahama was presented as the future home of an Afro-Caribbean marketplace said to carry tens of millions of dollars in investment. What was confirmed at that stage was a $1.86 million project-preparation facility — funding for studies and planning to make the development bankable, not construction financing. The larger build-out remains dependent on additional approvals, land acquisition and further capital.
This distinction — between financing announced and financing that produces visible, measurable outcomes — is now at the centre of the national conversation.
Because while the numbers grow larger on paper, entrepreneurs still describe access to capital as out of reach, and communities across the Family Islands are still waiting to see where the work will start.
And in an economy where stalled growth translates into lost opportunity, rising frustration and real social consequences, the gap between promise and delivery is no longer a communications issue.
It is an inability to convert announcements into outcomes.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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