Bahamas to launch Afro-Caribbean market on Grand Bahama island

The Government of Bahamas has revealed its plan to open an Afro-Caribbean market within the next two years on the island of Grand Bahama. This was announced by the island’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frederick A Mitchell, during a recent press conference.

According to the information, the Minister disclosed that the International Bazaar in Freeport which has in recent years been plagued with devastating fires is the location that the government has its eyes on.

He outlined, “The Minister for Grand Bahama has in mind, which is why the government has acquired or is in the process of acquiring, the land that used to be the international bazaar is to have an Afro-Caribbean market, and this is going to be a marketplace for which will be tourism driven, but it will be a center for people to import stuff from the from, from Africa to Grand Bahama and be sold on to those who visit there.”

He also expressed his assurance over the fact that Bahamians will be taking advantage of this and he hopes that the establishment comes to development within the next 18 months.

Mitchell further added that as government continues its plans to launch this market, they are looking forward to strengthen their ties with African nations.

“You just have to look at us, and you see Africa everywhere. I mean, when we were in Botswana, we kept saying, oh, that one looks like so-and-so. So, this will be an opportunity to commercial deepening of ties," he added.

While explaining the significance of the Afro-Caribbean market in the Bahamas, the Minister noted that the island boasts a number of Bahamians who live in Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa and added, “Bahamians are doctors are trained in South Africa. So the ties have already begun and I think it just has to be driven by people.”

The market will push the Bahamian diaspora to visit their hometown and explore the culture they are embracing in Africa.