Bahamas News
University of The Bahamas Eyes Strategic Priorities in New Norm
#Nassau, THE BAHAMAS – November 18, 2020 – The 2019-2020 academic year brought daunting challenges for University of The Bahamas (UB’s), but still senior administrators have touted some successes and set key priorities for the 2020-2021 academic year.
The Fall 2020 semester has been marked by an increase in full-time enrolment and Family Island enrolment, an expansion of land assets, while new graduate programmes will be rolled out and the University community in Grand Bahama remains focused on rebuilding, senior administrators reported during the Media P.A.S.S. (Plan for Achieving Strategic Success) virtual event held recently.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. K. Jonathan Rodgers noted that while UB has experienced a very tough period, it has shown that it is tough enough to handle any other challenges that may lie ahead. Dr. Rodgers said The Bahamas—particularly the northern islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco—had barely started to pick up the pieces from Hurricane Dorian when the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent economic recession struck.
Like many other organizations, exploring and capitalizing on potential revenue generating measures is among the priorities.
“We are contemplating a possible convocation center to be built on the Clarence Bain Building property,” said Dr. Rodgers. “We are also in talks with the government to create an economic zone around the university campus that will provide an income stream needed to support the future growth of the university.”
The Clarence A. Bain Building has been razed and the government recently gifted the land, on University Drive and Moss Road, to UB.
Among the senior administrators who reported on their respective portfolios were President Dr. Rodney D. Smith; Vice President of Administrative Services Dr. Marcella Elliott-Ferguson; Vice President of University of The Bahamas-North Dr. Ian G. Strachan; Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Maria Oriakhi; and Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Affairs Mr. Dino Hernandez. Each enumerated the progress made over the 2019-2020 academic year and identified their strategic imperatives for the 2020-2021 year.
President Smith attributed the achievement of recent milestones to a culture of collaboration and shared governance. He celebrated the contributions of faculty, staff, students and administrators as well as donors and other supporters of the University.
“During this pandemic, both academic freedom and shared governance have been essential in UB’s ability to pivot and remain a functioning tertiary level institution. Essential to all of our success is the faculty and staff at UB who took on so many other duties and responsibilities,” said President Smith. “I thank them for being innovative in the use of technology, and working so enthusiastically with students, making sure that the high quality education for which UB is renowned, is delivered timely and accurately.”
A five-year Strategic Plan is guiding UB’s trajectory and among the goals are increasing student enrolment and graduation. Factors like the lingering effect of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted student enrolment.
Full-time enrolment has increased by 11.5 percent to 3,790 students; enrolment of Family Island students has increased; and the percentage of students pursuing undergraduate degree programmes rose by 2.8 percent for Fall 2020, according to VP of Administrative Services Dr. Marcella Elliott-Ferguson. UB’s current enrolment stands at 4,575 for New Providence and Grand Bahama.
“Normally we would report separately on the UB-North campus and the main campus here in New Providence,” said Dr. Elliott-Ferguson. “This time around though, that did not appear to be an adequate measure, because what we found is that due to the virtual environment there were students who were registering both for courses at UB-North and courses in New Providence, no matter where they were.”
VP of UB-North Dr. Ian Strachan also touted an increase in enrolment for Fall 2020 as a result of students being able to register and take classes online offered at either campus.
“This year we have a higher enrolment than we have had in a very long time, 686 students enrolled in UB-North classes and the students are not all resident in Grand Bahama. Even in the midst of this crisis our ability to respond creatively and quickly, to migrate our classes online has made it possible for us to grow,” said Dr. Strachan.
Eight months into kicking its remote education into high gear, some 90% of UB’s courses are being delivered as virtual content. A few practicum classes are being held on campus with strict health protocols, according to VP of Academic Affairs Dr. Maria Oriakhi. By the end of the current academic year, the institution expects to roll out new graduate degree programmes including the very first doctoral degree.
“Five graduate programmes were approved by the Academic Senate: MBA Accounting, MBA Events Management, MBA Hospitality Management, Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, expected to begin Spring 2021. We also anticipate offering the Master and Doctorate by Research before the end of this academic year,” noted Dr. Oriakhi.
In line with the strategic goal of increasing and diversifying revenue and funding sources, VP Institutional Advancement and Alumni Affairs Dino Hernandez revealed the highlights of private giving to UB from both national and international donors. He noted that there was a 148 percent increase in cumulative gift activity for 2019-2020 over 2018-2019. Additionally, between 4th September, 2019 and 30th September, 2020 UB’s Hurricane Dorian Relief and Recovery Fund secured $461,461.44 in cash, pledges, and in-kind donations for the rebuilding of UB-North. UB also has been fundraising for its COVID-19 Relief Fund.
“We never stop accepting gifts. There is still a great level of need. In this global pandemic we realized that our students are in desperate need of technology, not just limited to access to a laptop, or a desktop but also access to the Internet. So I encourage folks to go to our COVID-19 Relief Fund and give,” he said.
Held under the theme “Accessing, Adapting and Advancing Higher Education in a New Norm”, the Media P.A.S.S. event is a platform to share UB’s achievements, and milestones for the 2019-2020 academic year and strategic priorities and projections for the current year.
The Bahamas, May 22, 2026 – More than a week after Bahamians voted in the country’s 2026 General Election, complete official constituency voting figures still have not been publicly released by the Parliamentary Registration Department.
While winners have been declared across the country’s expanded 41-seat Parliament, no centralized official breakdown showing
constituency vote totals, turnout percentages, rejected ballots or margins of victory appears to have been published publicly.
The Progressive Liberal Party is widely reported to have secured 33 seats, while the Free National Movement won eight seats, according to tallies carried by several media houses, including the Nassau Guardian’s election tracker and other regional reports.
Still missing, however, are the underlying numbers which would allow the public to independently assess voter participation levels across the country’s 41 constituencies.
That absence is drawing increasing attention following an election already marked by concerns over long lines, advanced polling confusion, voter register complaints and questions about election administration.
Unofficial turnout estimates circulating in local media place national voter participation near 58 percent. If confirmed, that would represent the lowest voter turnout in modern Bahamian general election history.
Historically, The Bahamas has recorded strong election participation rates, with turnout often exceeding 80 percent in previous decades. But participation declined sharply in 2021, when official turnout fell to roughly 65 percent — at the time considered historically low.
Now, the Coalition of Independents says it plans to challenge aspects of the election process in Election Court and is escalating its criticism of the handling of the vote.
In a sharply worded statement issued to media, Coalition Leader Lincoln Bain announced the party will boycott the opening of Parliament, insisting the election was “flawed from start to finish.”
The Coalition claims the country cannot “celebrate ceremony while justice is ignored,” arguing that unresolved election concerns continue to hang over the legitimacy of the process.
Among the concerns raised by the COI are:
- allegations of voter register irregularities;
- claims that the voters register remained open after Parliament was dissolved;
- accusations of vote buying;
- concerns tied to the Pinewood constituency race;
- alleged constitutional breaches involving undeclared government contracts;
- and alleged conflicts of interest involving gaming operators serving in Cabinet.
The Coalition also referenced allegations surrounding criminal influence and drug-related claims connected to political operations, while
calling for what it describes as a “serious local investigation.”
In its statement, the COI said there has been “no proper public accounting, no local investigation announced, and no Commission of Inquiry launched into these matters.”
The group is now demanding a formal Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of the election and related allegations.
Bain said the boycott of Parliament is “not a boycott of democracy” but instead “a stand in defence of democracy.”
The statement further argues that Parliament itself must be protected from “corruption, conflicts of interest, criminal influence, and electoral fraud.”
So far, election authorities have not publicly indicated when complete certified constituency voting figures will be formally released.
And that delay is becoming increasingly significant because the missing data includes the very numbers needed to understand whether Bahamians truly disengaged from the electoral process in record numbers.
If unofficial turnout estimates are accurate, it would mean voter participation in 2026 either matched or fell below the historically low 2021 election turnout — despite The Bahamas recording one of its largest voter registration totals ever, with more than 209,000 people listed to vote.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
Polls open nationwide as rallies, controversy and endorsements close heated campaign season
The Bahamas, May 11, 2026 – Temperatures across The Bahamas on Tuesday, May 12 are forecast to reach a high of 87 degrees Fahrenheit, with “feels like” temperatures expected to climb even higher — but the heat is not expected to disrupt the flow of voters to polling stations which open nationwide at 8 a.m.
More than 209,000 registered voters are expected to cast ballots in the country’s 2026 General Election, which will determine who forms
the next government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
Polling stations across New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands will remain open until 6 p.m., with all 41 House of Assembly seats being contested in what has become one of the country’s most energetic and closely watched election campaigns in recent years.
The governing Progressive Liberal Party and the opposition Free National Movement are fielding full slates of 41 candidates each, while the Coalition of Independents has emerged as a significant third-force movement with 40 candidates contesting seats nationwide.
Public schools throughout the country are closed Tuesday as many campuses are transformed into polling stations, while ballot boxes have already been dispatched to the Family Islands ahead of voting day.
The Parliamentary Registration Department has meanwhile reminded employers that registered voters are legally entitled to two hours off to vote in addition to their normal lunch break and has also issued guidance aimed at maintaining orderly conduct at polling locations.
The final days of campaigning transformed the country into a sea of rallies, motorcades, town halls and political events stretching from Exuma and Long Island to Abaco, Bimini, Eleuthera, Andros, Inagua and Grand Bahama.
The PLP closed its campaign with the message “Choose Progress,” arguing the Davis administration has strengthened the economy, expanded social support and advanced national development projects.
The FNM campaigned heavily on accountability, affordability and governance reform under the slogan “We Work for You,” while the
Coalition of Independents sought to position itself as the country’s disruptive alternative with the declaration: “Change ain’t coming — change is here.”
The campaign season also drew international attention with former NBA player and businessman Rick Fox attracting celebrity endorsements from basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, actress Vanessa Williams and reggae icon Buju Banton through widely circulated video messages.
Adding further unpredictability to the race are at least 13 independent candidates contesting seats across the country, including former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in New Providence’s Killarney constituency, former Cabinet Minister Frederick McAlpine in Grand Bahama’s Pineridge constituency and Leroy Major in Southern Shores on New Providence — all seeking to break through the dominance of the country’s traditional party structure.
Meanwhile, election officials faced controversy in the campaign’s final hours after confirming that fewer than 150 voters, around 1 percent of electors had been mistakenly omitted from the register but would still be allowed to vote Tuesday — a decision questioned publicly by FNM Leader Michael Pintard amid broader concerns over voter integrity and election procedures.
Despite the political tensions, election officials say preparations are complete.
By Tuesday night, Bahamians are expected to know whether the PLP secures a second consecutive term, whether the FNM returns to office, or whether independents reshape the country’s political landscape.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, May 4, 2026 – With elections days away, The Bahamas has picked up a headline-friendly win: a credit rating upgrade.
Here’s the one-liner that matters most:
A higher rating can mean cheaper borrowing for the government—over time.
That’s the upside. When lenders see less risk, they demand lower interest. That can ease the cost of financing big projects and managing national debt.
But that’s only part of the story.
Moody’s Ratings has upgraded The Bahamas to Ba3 from B1, citing stronger fiscal discipline, improved liquidity and a more stable funding strategy. It also points to better tax collection, controlled spending and continued strength in tourism as key drivers.
Moody’s expects the government to maintain solid primary surpluses—essentially bringing in more than it spends before debt payments—and projects national debt to decline from 72.5% of GDP to around 68% by 2027.
That’s progress.
But here’s the reality check.
The Bahamas is still below investment grade. In plain terms, the country remains in speculative territory, meaning investors still see a higher level of risk compared to more stable economies.
Debt, while improving, is still elevated. And the economy remains heavily dependent on tourism—a sector that can shift quickly with global
conditions, weather events or geopolitical shocks.
Even Moody’s signals that more work is needed. Further upgrades depend on:
- sustained reductions in debt
- improved debt affordability
- and continued access to favourable financing
So while the upgrade reflects real gains, it is not a finish line.
It is a signal that the country is moving in the right direction—but must stay disciplined to keep that momentum.
For voters heading to the polls, the takeaway is simple:
The Bahamas has strengthened its financial position—but the fundamentals still need work.
The progress is real.
The challenge now is to make it last.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
