Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: Prime Minister and Cabinet colleagues donate $20,000 to assist financially struggling SAC students
#Nassau, June 18, 2018 – Bahamas – Addressing the 2018 Graduating Class of his alma mater, St. Augustine’s College, Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis who struggled financially to attend school, personally donated $10,000 for students who might be experiencing the same challenges. And, his Cabinet colleagues followed suit and matched his donation making it a total of $20,000 donated to pay school fees for those struggling students.
The 2018 Class of about 115 students received their high school diplomas and special awards during graduation exercises held at Melia Nassau Beach resort Independence Ballroom on Thursday, June 14. Also in attendance and assisting with handing out the awards was SAC alumnus the Hon. Jeff Lloyd, Minister of Education, who beamed with pride as his daughter Sanjay Maria, became a SAC alumnus.
Before a packed room of family members and other well wishers, the Prime Minister delivered his address to the graduates, recalling his financial struggle to pay school fees and the un-likelihood of becoming a doctor, or a politician or even a prime minister. He also noted that the school’s vice principal Benedict Dorsett and Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder were part of his 1971 graduating class.
“I know that the Archbishop never imagined in those years that he would be the first Bahamian Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese,” the Prime Minister said. He deemed it “a special privilege” to address the Graduating Class of 2018.
The Prime Minister told his story of humble beginnings in Bain Town and that he never dreamed he would enter politics. “If anybody told me back then that I would run for the House of Assembly, or become a Cabinet Minister, I would have told them that they needed to get their head checked.
“And if anybody told me that I would one day have the privilege of serving as Prime Minister, I would have been the one laughing the hardest,” he said
As a young boy he said his mother taught him that just because you come from a modest background doesn’t mean you can’t have big dreams or explore new horizons. He recalled that when he was accepted to attend SAC, she was overjoyed. He said they did not have money to pay school fees so he worked as a paperboy, in a tailor shop, would shine shoes, pump gas and do other small jobs to make money.
“Although I worked hard and saved up to help pay my school fees, we didn’t always have enough money. The funds I earned were insufficient to cover costs. Even today, I recall times I would be sent home because we couldn’t pay the school fees,” the Prime Minister said. However, he said, his circumstances motivated him to work even harder to graduate from SAC.
“I was determined that I would not allow my circumstances to dictate my destiny. I learned early in life that when you dream big, you also have to work hard.”
The Prime Minister said attending St. Augustine’s remains one of the greater privileges of his life; and he gave honour to the Benedictine monks and the late Deacon Leviticus Adderley, who was one of the most principled men he’s ever met, he said. When he graduated high school, he said his ambition was to be a marine biologist, having a love for the ocean and the marine life of The Bahamas.
“While I was waiting to be accepted into a program to study marine biology, my mother suggested that I also apply to medical school at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Because I heard from UWI first, I went to medical school,” he said.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister became an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and said God has “gifted me to practice my craft well, having delivered over 5,000 babies.” He reached the pinnacle of his medical career in 2007, when he consciously made the decision to enter frontline politics.
“That is why when I heard of your theme, ‘Exploring New Horizons,’ I embraced the opportunity to address you,” the Prime Minister said.
He admonished the graduates that in their pursuit of personal dreams and serving humanity to explore new horizons by asking questions such as “Why can’t The Bahamas become one of the most successful small countries in the world?”
He thanked God for blessing him with the opportunity to serve “our great country” as Prime Minister, to help provide this generation with the opportunities and the tools they need to respond to these questions with imagination and ingenuity.
“I ask you to use your imagination to help the world and your country to explore new horizons with courage and tenacity.”
In this vein, he personally donated $10,000 to help some of those students who sometimes struggle to pay their school fees.
“I wish to dedicate my contribution to those students who are financially challenged, who need a little help so that they can pursue their dreams in life. When I mentioned that I was going to offer this donation, some of my other Cabinet colleagues decided to match the donation. So, I would like to announce an additional $10,000 donation, offered by my colleagues. Thank you Cabinet colleagues.”
By: Lindsay Thompson (BIS)
Photo Captions: Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis addressed St. Augustine’s College Graduating Class of 2018 at Melia, June 14, 2018.
(BIS Photos/Yontalay Bowe)
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Bahamas News
Next U.S. Ambassador? Walker Pledges Business-Driven Approach as U.S. Looks to Counter China in The Bahamas
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
The Bahamas, September 16, 2025 – For the first time since 2011, the United States is on the cusp of sending an ambassador to The Bahamas — and the nominee, former football star turned entrepreneur Herschel Walker, is promising to bring his business instincts to the diplomatic table.
Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, Walker underscored that his background in food-service companies and small business leadership has prepared him to think practically about investment. “I know how to run a business, how to create jobs, how to make payroll. Those lessons translate into building relationships and building trust,” Walker said.
Walker, who was nominated by President Trump in December 2024, faced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 11. As of now, he has not yet been confirmed; his nomination remains under review, pending a committee vote before it can move to the full Senate. If approved, he would become the first U.S. ambassador to The Bahamas since 2011.
For years, U.S. officials have stressed security and counternarcotics cooperation with The Bahamas, including through “Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos.” But in areas like infrastructure, medical care, and long-term investment, Washington has often been absent.
Hospitals and clinics remain under-resourced, and hurricane recovery has been slow in many islands. Chinese state-backed firms, by contrast, have shown up with financing packages and construction deals — a presence that has raised alarms on Capitol Hill.
“Only 50 miles off our shore, The Bahamas is too important for us to ignore,” warned Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders during Walker’s hearing. They called China’s inroads “strategic, not charitable,” suggesting Beijing’s long game is about ports, proximity, and political leverage.
Walker positioned himself as a nontraditional but pragmatic envoy. He argued that his business career, rooted in private sector success, equips him to champion American investment in The Bahamas.
He pledged to:
- Promote U.S. companies interested in medical and infrastructure projects.
- Support an environment that encourages American investors to see The Bahamas as more than just a beach destination.
- Highlight opportunities for partnerships that improve public services, healthcare, and resilience against hurricanes.
“I’ve built businesses. I know what it takes to attract investors and create opportunity. That is exactly what I intend to bring to our relationship with The Bahamas,” Walker said.
The Bahamas is not just a tourist paradise. It’s a frontline state in migration, drug interdiction, and hurricane response. More than six
million U.S. visitors travel there annually, making stability and safety a U.S. domestic concern as much as a foreign policy one.
And yet, with the ambassador post vacant for 14 years, the U.S. has often looked detached — opening space for China’s ambitious Belt and Road agenda. The fear is that infrastructure deals signed today could give Beijing leverage in the region tomorrow. Walker’s confirmation would symbolize a course correction, signaling Washington’s intent to re-engage not only in security but in the economic future of The Bahamas. Not everyone is convinced Herschel Walker is the right man for the job. His nomination revived controversies from his 2022 Senate run, including past allegations, public gaffes, and doubts about whether he has the diplomatic polish the post demands. Some senators and analysts questioned whether celebrity and business experience were enough for a role requiring nuance in foreign policy and geopolitics.
Critics argued that The Bahamas, sitting just 50 miles from Florida and facing intense Chinese interest, deserves a seasoned diplomat rather than a political ally.
Walker confronted those doubts head-on. “People have underestimated me all my life — in academics, athletics, and business,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “And I have always proven them wrong, through discipline, determination, and by outworking everyone.”
He admitted he had never served as an ambassador but countered that his career prepared him in other ways: building businesses, managing payrolls, and connecting with people from all walks of life. He framed his business background as a strength, promising to use it to encourage U.S. investment in healthcare, infrastructure, and hurricane resilience projects in The Bahamas.
Rather than sparring with critics, Walker leaned on confidence and persistence: “I know how to build trust and find common ground. That’s what this relationship needs.”
If confirmed, Walker would have to balance his role as diplomat with expectations of being a commercial cheerleader for U.S. firms. His emphasis on entrepreneurship suggests a willingness to push U.S. businesses toward opportunities in healthcare, ports, and post-storm reconstruction — areas where Bahamians say they need the most support.
For Bahamian officials, the question will be whether Washington is prepared to back words with financing. U.S. private sector dollars, paired with aid and development partnerships, could help shift the tide against Chinese influence.
For Walker, the test will be whether his business acumen can translate into diplomatic wins — giving Bahamians alternatives to Beijing, while deepening the U.S. role in the Caribbean.
Analysis: If Walker delivers, this appointment could mark a turning point: a U.S. strategy that recognizes that in the Caribbean, investment is diplomacy.
The Bahamas, September 10, 2025 – Rescue swimmers from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Aviation Training Center in
Mobile, Alabama visited Nassau to train Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) and Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) members in water survival skills as part of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) earlier this week.
“Training alongside our USCG partners ensures our personnel are best prepared for the unique challenges of joint operations” said Superintendent Wendy Pearson, Commander Drug Enforcement Unit.
The multi-day exercise, centered on the USCG’s Shallow Water Egress Training (SWET), enhanced the safety and preparedness of Bahamian partners who routinely operate aboard USCG helicopters during OPBAT missions. The exercise provided hands-on instruction for 31 participants and strengthened interoperability between U.S. and Bahamian agencies engaged in counter-drug, search and rescue, and maritime security operations throughout the region.
“We were excited and proud to have the opportunity to share our expertise with our Bahamian partners. Not only did RBDF and RBPF
perform exceptionally well, they exceeded the standards we set for the event,” said Petty Officer Second Class Cole Johnson, USCG.
OPBAT is a cooperative multi-agency international operation supporting The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands to stop illicit drug smuggling through the region. U.S. Embassy Nassau Chargé d’affaires Kimberly Furnish stated, “Since 1982, OPBAT has worked to stop the flow of illicit narcotics through the Caribbean, destined for the United States or other jurisdictions. This is international cooperation at its best.”
