Published 5 April 2025
Buckie Got It
St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
MINISTER DUGGINS OUTLINES FIRST QUARTER ACHIEVEMENTS IN NATIONAL PRESS CONFERENCE
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Hon. Samal Duggins, Minister of Sports, Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Small Business, Entrepreneurship, Cooperatives, and the Creative Economy, hosted a press conference yesterday at the NEMA Conference Room, presenting a comprehensive update on the first quarter achievements across his ministries.
Back row (L-R): Mr. Randel Thompson-Director of Fisheries, Mrs. Jihan Williams-Knight, Chair of the Medicinal Cannabis Board of Directors, Ms. Yushaner Jeffers-Acting Director of Agriculture, Mr. Jeffrey Hazel-Director of Sports, Ms. Leah Crag-Chaderton-Director for the Ministry of Small Business, Entrepreneurship et al., Ms. Roberitine Webbe-Director of Creative Economy, Ms. Shannon Hawley-Chair of the St.Kitts Nevis National Carnival Committee, Mrs. Earla Clarke-Allen-Registrar of Cooperatives and Mr. Pierre Liburd- Director of Culture.)
Economy, Ms. Shannon Hawley-Chair of the St.Kitts Nevis National Carnival Committee, Mrs. Earla Clarke-Allen-Registrar of Cooperatives and Mr. Pierre Liburd- Director of Culture.) The Minister was joined at the head table by his Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments, reflecting the unified leadership driving national progress. Instead of traditional live presentations, prerecorded progress reports from each department were shown during the press conference, offering a detailed and visually engaging overview of key initiatives and developments from January to March 2025.
This innovative approach to presenting progress reports marks a new step in government transparency and accessibility. The prerecorded reports, first shown during the press conference, are now available on the official social media pages of the respective departments within the ministries, allowing citizens to watch and engage with the updates at their convenience.
We’re not just talking about progress—we’re showing it,” Minister Duggins stated. “With vision and strategic actions, we are delivering tangible results for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Key Achievements in Q1 2025:
• Agriculture: A historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with the Green Economic Zone of Nigeria to establish an Agro Hub & Logistics Centre, positioning St. Kitts and Nevis as a leader in agricultural exports. Additionally, a drone and geospatial training program was launched in partnership with the FAO to equip farmers with cutting-edge technology.
• Creative Economy & Culture: The government forged a cultural and creative partnership with the Warri Kingdom of Nigeria, fostering new opportunities for artistic and economic collaboration.
• Carnival & Economic Growth: Sugar Mas 53 generated over $21 million in economic activity, benefiting tourism, hospitality, retail, and the creative sector.
• Entrepreneurship & Small Business: The ministry rolled out the Revive 2 Thrive MSME Makeover Initiative, offering practical upgrades to selected small businesses- enhancing their physical spaces, branding, and customer experience. In addition, women entrepreneurs gained access to business development resources through the High Growth Entrepreneurship Roadmap, empowering them to scale their enterprises.
• Fisheries: Following a record $19.6 million in fishery earnings in 2024, the sector saw further advancements with seafood safety training and the introduction of Fish Aggregating Devices to support sustainability.
• Sports Development: Investments in infrastructure and public-private partnerships, with the Kim Collins Stadium overhaul and collaborations like the Big Six T20 Tournament helped reignite national pride in cricket and spotlight local talent. Meanwhile, youth-focused initiatives and programs like the Security Forces Summer Soccer Camp continued to yield results- most notably with Kai Trotman earning a full football scholarship to Bethany College in the U.S.
The Ministries under the portfolio of Hon. Samal Duggins continue to work diligently on behalf of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. With a clear commitment to transparency, innovation, and inclusive development, these departments remain focused on delivering impactful solutions that uplift communities and strengthen the foundation of our nation.
