NASSAU, The Bahamas – Prime Minister Philip Davis today hosted the latest edition of the Opportunity Hub focused on Trade and Access to Global Markets, bringing Bahamian entrepreneurs, small business owners, manufacturers, service providers, and aspiring business leaders together with international partners to explore how Bahamian products, services, and ideas can reach markets beyond our shores.
The event, hosted in partnership with the Bahamas Trade Commission, is part of the Davis Administration’s Opportunity Hub initiative, a nationwide effort to connect Bahamians directly with information, resources, and opportunities being created through government programmes and partnerships.
“Today we are marking an important step forward for our country, one that has been a long time coming,” Prime Minister Davis said.
“We made trade an early priority because we understood how important it was to create a new post-pandemic economic strategy – to grow our economy, reduce our dependence on imports, create more Bahamian success stories, and situate trade within our larger plan for national development.”
The Prime Minister said the government’s National Trade Policy provides a clearer roadmap for helping Bahamian businesses compete internationally and access new opportunities in global markets.
“For the first time, our country has a clear roadmap to manage trade more strategically and to improve the competitiveness of Bahamian businesses,” Prime Minister Davis said.
“There is great potential for small countries like ours. We are navigating significant uncertainty, but we should never set our sights low. I know we can thrive, and not just survive, in these changing times.”
As part of the programme, the Bahamas Trade Commission also unveiled its new website, bahamas.gov.bs/tradecommission, designed to make trade-related information, resources, and support easier for Bahamian businesses to access in one place.
During the programme, participants heard directly about opportunities in the United Kingdom, China, and beyond, with global market segments featuring Her Excellency Smita Rossetti, British High Commissioner to The Bahamas, and Her Excellency Yan Jairong, Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas.
The conversations offered practical insight into how Bahamian businesses and professionals can better position themselves to access international markets.
The event also featured a special announcement supporting Bahamian business entry into the U.S. market, with Prime Minister Davis joining Senator Barry Griffin, Chairman of the Bahamas Trade Commission, and Commissioner Cache Armbrister to recognize grant winners receiving support to pursue new export opportunities.
Prime Minister Davis emphasized that expanding trade is about creating more ownership, entrepreneurship, and long-term opportunity for Bahamians.
“We led an economic recovery that created thousands of new jobs. Now we need to create thousands more, and good ones, so people can do more than just get by,” Prime Minister Davis said.
“We need more ownership opportunities for Bahamians. We need more Bahamian innovators and entrepreneurs.”
A key part of the event was the “Sharing the Floor” listening session, where entrepreneurs, small business owners, creatives, manufacturers, and young people were invited to share their ideas, challenges, and success stories directly with government leaders and partners.
The programme also included an Opportunity Floor, featuring Bahamian product manufacturers in the food and cosmetics sectors, as well as service providers in business consulting, artificial intelligence, and marketing.
The Opportunity Hub series has previously focused on initiatives including the Small Business Development Centre, the National Youth Guard, Upskill, the National Apprenticeship Programme, and the Public Hospitals Authority Academy.
Through each Hub, the government continues to bring together ministers, technical experts, programme leaders, entrepreneurs, and members of the public to ensure Bahamians know what opportunities are available, how to access them, and how they can help shape the country’s economic future. Bahamians interested in learning more about opportunities across ministries and sectors can visit opphub.gov.bs.