Prime Minister Philip Davis’s Remarks at Men In Business Initiative 2025/2026 Grant Announcement

Good afternoon,

Today means a great deal to me.

It means a great deal to me because whenever I travel across our country, I meet young Bahamian men with talent, ability, and promise.

I meet young men who can build, fix, farm, fish, design, create, cook, teach, drive, lead, and serve.

I meet young men with ideas. I meet young men with gifts. I meet young men with dreams for themselves, for their families, and for this country.

But I also meet young men carrying pressure, doubt, hurt, and frustration.

And I feel deeply that one of the great callings of leadership in this moment is to help reverse the trend facing too many young men in our country.

This matters to me in a very personal way.

Because when a young man loses direction, the damage does not stop with him.

A mother feels it.

A child feels it.

A family feels it.

A street feels it.

A community feels it.

A country feels it.

And when a young man finds purpose, discipline, support, and belief, the benefit also travels far beyond him.

His family feels it.

His children feel it.

His customers feel it.

His community feels it.

His country feels it.

That is why this initiative matters.

This is about funding, yes. But this is also about faith.

Faith in Bahamian men.

Faith in their ability to create.

Faith in their ability to provide.

Faith in their ability to grow.

Faith in their ability to lead.

Today, 34 men will receive funding through this initiative, with a total of $314,457.25 being awarded.

That is real support. That is real backing. That is real opportunity.

These awardees come from a wide range of industries across our economy, including agriculture, arts and crafts, automotive services, beauty, cleaning, construction, courier and delivery, education, energy, entertainment, fishing, fitness, food and beverage, landscaping, media, photography and videography, printing and signage, professional services, real estate, security, technology, tourism, transportation, and waste management.

Some are building established businesses. Some are starting out.

Eighteen are existing businesses operating for more than a year. Sixteen are startups.

That tells us something powerful.

It tells us that Bahamian men are trying. It tells us that Bahamian men are building. It tells us that Bahamian men are stepping forward.

And much of this support will go toward production equipment and business supplies so these entrepreneurs can strengthen and expand their operations.

That is important.

Because a man with the right support can change the course of his life.

A man with the right opportunity can change the course of his family.

A man with the right encouragement can change the course of his future.

I also want to commend the Small Business Development Centre for building this initiative in a way that speaks to the full man.

Because this programme goes beyond a cheque.

It includes Business Blueprint training. It includes Builder’s Lab masterclasses. It includes mentorship.

It includes the chance for men to build confidence, sharpen their thinking, improve communication, strengthen leadership skills, and prepare for further financing as their businesses grow.  

That is the right approach.

Because we are trying to build successful businesses.

But we are also trying to build stronger men.

Men who can lead with discipline.

Men who can provide with pride.

Men who can think clearly.

Men who can endure hardship.

Men who can make sound choices.

Men who can lift others as they rise.

I want to speak directly to the young men of The Bahamas

I know that some of you feel unseen.

I know that some of you feel shut out.

I know that some of you have made mistakes.

I know that some of you are trying to find your footing in a hard and demanding world.

Hear me today.

Your life has value. Your effort has value. Your ideas have value. Your future has value.

This country needs you.

It needs your strength. It needs your mind. It needs your skill. It needs your discipline It needs your courage.

It needs your contribution.

And I want to say something to you.

I am a gate opener, never a gate closer.

I believe in opening doors.

I believe in making room.

I believe in reaching back and bringing others forward.

I believe leadership carries a duty to widen access, create opportunity, and give people a fair chance to rise.

Too many young men have spent years feeling counted out, pushed aside, or left to figure life out on their own.

That has cost us dearly as a country.

We have to change that.

We have to continue building a Bahamas where more young men can see a path in front of them.

We have to build a Bahamas where more young men can find support before they lose hope.

We have to build a Bahamas where more young men can move with confidence toward honest work, enterprise, fatherhood, service, and purpose.

And we will reverse the trend together.

We will reverse the trend together through government that opens doors.

We will reverse the trend together through families that stay present.

We will reverse the trend together through mentors who guide.

We will reverse the trend together through churches, schools, coaches, employers, and communities that choose to invest in our young men.

We will reverse the trend together through young men who choose discipline over drift, growth over excuses, and purpose over self-doubt.

And let me say to the older men of this country, our duty is clear.

Our young men need correction, yes, but they also need presence.

They need examples.

They need patience.

They need encouragement.

They need men who are willing to teach them what they know.

They need men who are willing to share access.

They need men who are willing to open a gate instead of guarding one.

No country can move forward by starving its young men of hope.

No country can grow strong while too many of its sons feel there is no place for them.

So today, let this event send a message across every island in this country.

There is room for the young businessman.

There is room for the mechanic.

There is room for the farmer.

There is room for the fisherman.

There is room for the mason.

There is room for the creative.

There is room for the courier.

There is room for the chef.

There is room for the technician.

There is room for the entrepreneur.

There is room for the young man who is still trying to get his start.

There is room for you in your country.

As a son of Cat Island, I know what it means to come from humble beginnings and still believe bigger things are possible.

I know what it means to hold on.

I know what it means to work with what is in your hands.

I know what it means to keep faith while waiting for your opportunity.

And that is why I care so deeply about creating a Bahamas where more young men feel seen, supported, and called upward.

To the men receiving grants today, I congratulate you.

Use this support wisely.

Build with discipline.

Lead with integrity.

Serve your customers well.

Take your training seriously.

Lean into mentorship.

And keep pushing.

To the men who applied and did not receive an award this time, keep going.

Keep learning.

Keep refining.

Keep building.

Your season can still come.

And to every young man listening today, hear this from your Prime Minister.

I believe in you.

I believe in your future.

I believe this country has far too much talent in its young men to accept decline as destiny.

We will keep opening doors.

We will keep creating opportunities.

We will keep calling our young men upward.

And we will reverse the trend together.

May God bless the men being recognized today.

May God bless every young Bahamian man trying to build an honest life.

And may God bless the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.