Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis officially opened the 2nd Grand Bahama Technology SummitNovember 14 in Freeport.

The three-day summit is being held at the Grand Lucayan resort under the theme, ‘The Future is Now.’

During his address, the Prime Minister announced that the mission and commitment of The Bahamas to become a regional leader in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) recently resulted in our becoming a Council member of the United Nation’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) during a conference held in Dubai a week ago.

The ITU is the world’s highest body with ICT policymaking in three sectors: radio communication, telecommunication standards, and telecommunication development. This seat, he said, will be beneficial to the region and The Bahamas, as ways to improve the lives of residents are sought.

The Prime Minister said:“This year’s theme addresses the development of our human capacity in meeting the demands of this sector, including opportunities for Bahamian empowerment and ownership.”

The goal, said the Prime Minister, is to develop successful programmes in educational institutions and develop partnerships with international organizations.

An example of this is the tuition-free programme offered at the Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI) for qualified students. In Grand Bahama, the overall enrolment at BTVI has increased by 70 per cent, and in ICT courses, the increase is 97 per cent.

Prime Minister Minnis encouraged Bahamians to take advantage of the opportunity.