Bahamas PM Davis urges ‘gate-opening culture’ to empower young Bahamians

Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis.

Prime Minister Philip Davis is calling for a shift in national culture, urging Bahamians to become “gate openers” and create more opportunities for younger generations to succeed.

Addressing the 242 Influencers and Creative Conference, Davis said too many older Bahamians have held back younger ones due to fear, insecurity, and discomfort with new leadership emerging.

Describing himself as a “gate opener,” Davis reflected on his own journey from humble beginnings.

“If someone had told me, as a barefoot boy from Cat Island, that one day I would serve as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, I would have struggled to believe it,” Davis said.

He noted that he never attended university abroad and instead learned law through apprenticeship and articling, adding that his rise to the country’s highest office would have seemed unlikely earlier in his life.

“The Bahamas has lived too long with a gatekeeping culture,” Davis said, adding that access to opportunities has often been treated “like private property,” leaving many talented Bahamians waiting outside spaces they had already earned the right to enter.

He argued that mentorship should not be used as control and that experience should not translate into ownership of opportunities.

“A country cannot grow that way. A people cannot move forward that way,” Davis said. “Age should bring wisdom, guidance, and a sense of making room… It must never become a wall in the path of the next generation.”

Davis said “gate openers” are needed across multiple sectors, including politics, business, media, law, education, churches, and the civil service.

He also highlighted the government’s investment in the Upskill Bahamas programme, which he said is designed to prepare Bahamians for a changing economy. According to the prime minister, more than 12,000 Bahamians have already signed up for the free, government-funded training courses.

“We invest. We open the gate. We give you the tools. Then we ask you to step through and make the most of the chance before you,” Davis said.

The prime minister said he has also been encouraged by graduates of the programme who are now pursuing entrepreneurship, noting that access — not ability — has often been the missing ingredient.

Davis added that the conference is also aimed at connecting Bahamian creators with global technology companies, including OpenAI, Meta, TikTok, and X, to discuss opportunities for Caribbean creators and address barriers to monetisation.

He said the government also plans to direct agencies and ministries to work with Bahamian influencers and creators to help deliver public education campaigns, allocating budgets specifically for local talent.

“When the government wants to reach people, the government should use Bahamian talent,” Davis said, adding that the country is entering “an era of Bahamian possibility.”

Davis, who is expected to announce a date for general elections soon, urged young Bahamians to meet the government halfway.

“Bring your discipline. Bring your talent. Bring your work ethic. Bring your ideas. Bring your hunger,” he said.