AGP Executive Report

China-Cricket Infrastructure: Cricket West Indies (CWI) met China’s Ambassador Jiang Wei to explore Chinese participation in building a High-Performance Center at Coolidge Cricket Ground, covering design, contractors, equipment, and materials—aimed at sports science, coaching, and a modern training campus. Power, Water, Broadband Upgrade: APUA marks 53 years of electricity, water, and telecom service, with government backing for transformation plans including renewable energy, lower energy costs, and more affordable broadband and mobile services. Earthquake Watch: The UWI Seismic Research Centre recorded an earthquake east of Antigua and Barbuda; no damage reports were shared. Education Standouts: The Ministry of Education released the 2026 Grade Six National Assessment Top 100, led by Denushka H. Gibbs (383), with top male Marlensky J. Salien (382) and top government primary student Necasia B. Ralph (377); Post Millennial Academy placed the most students (12). Youth Entrepreneurship in Barbuda: Digicel and ACB Caribbean joined as part-sponsors for barbudanGO’s 2026 New Gen Innovators workshop, training ages 13–16 to solve community problems and pitch business plans. Medicinal Cannabis Oversight: Health Minister Michael Joseph toured the Antigua and Barbuda Medicinal Cannabis Authority, praising traceability and compliance systems using coded identification, scanning, and weight verification. Regional Tourism Skills: OECS advanced community-based tourism policy planning in Saint Lucia with EU-funded capacity building for member states.

Sports Infrastructure: Cricket West Indies is exploring a strategic partnership with China to build a state-of-the-art High-Performance Center in Antigua, aiming to centralize operations and boost elite training and sports science. Utilities & Connectivity: APUA marks 53 years powering Antigua and Barbuda, with government backing for transformation plans including renewable energy, lower energy costs, and more affordable broadband and mobile services. Earth & Safety: The UWI Seismic Research Centre recorded an earthquake east of Antigua and Barbuda, with no immediate damage reports, while another quake (magnitude 3.9) was also reported northeast in the wider coverage. Education & Talent: The Ministry of Education released the 2026 Grade Six National Assessment Top 100, led by Denushka H. Gibbs (383), plus standout school performances like Post Millennial Academy’s 12 students in the Top 100. Health & Research: Minister Michael Joseph opened a workshop on “Food as Medicine, Soil as Health,” linking soil quality, nutrition, and disease prevention. Youth Entrepreneurship: Digicel and ACB Caribbean joined barbudanGO as part-sponsors for a Barbuda New Gen Innovators workshop, supporting youth business planning and pitches. Tech & Development: The UWI Five Islands Campus is set to host its One UWI Postgraduate Student Conference (Nov 18–21, 2026), highlighting regional research across health, climate resilience, education, and governance.

Earthquake Watch: UWI’s Seismic Research Centre reported a quake east of Antigua and Barbuda in the Atlantic, with no immediate damage or injury reports. Utilities & Connectivity: APUA marked 53 years of delivering electricity, water and telecoms, with government backing for renewables, lower energy costs, and more affordable broadband and mobile services. Education Results: The Ministry of Education named the 2026 Grade Six Top 100, with Denushka Gibbs top overall (383), Marlensky Salien second and top male (382), and Necasia Ralph third overall and top government primary student (377). Health & Food Systems: Health Minister Michael Joseph opened a workshop linking “Food as Medicine” with soil and environmental health for disease prevention. Medicinal Cannabis Oversight: Minister Joseph toured the Medicinal Cannabis Authority and licensed facilities, highlighting traceability and quality controls. Tech & Skills for Youth: Digicel and ACB Caribbean supported barbudanGO’s New Gen Innovators entrepreneurship workshop in Barbuda for ages 13–16. Regional Science & Research: UWI announced its One UWI Postgraduate Student Conference (Nov 18–21, 2026) after recognizing 14 top presentations. Reparations Education: ABRSC named winners of its 2026 reparatory justice essay competition and announced Professor Sir Hilary Beckles as the Watchnight Gathering feature speaker (July 31).

Seismic Update: The UWI Seismic Research Centre reported an earthquake east of Antigua and Barbuda in the Atlantic, with no immediate damage or injury reports and no magnitude details shared. Utilities & Connectivity: APUA marked 53 years of delivering electricity, water and telecommunications, with government backing for transformation plans including renewable energy, lower energy costs, and more affordable broadband and mobile services. STEM & Education: The Ministry of Education highlighted top performers in the 2026 Grade Six National Assessment, naming Denushka H. Gibbs first overall, Marlensky J. Salien top male, and Necasia B. Ralph third overall; meanwhile, the UWI announced its 4th One UWI Postgraduate Student Conference (Nov 18–21, 2026) after recognizing 14 standout postgraduate presentations. Youth Entrepreneurship: Digicel and ACB Caribbean joined barbudanGO as part-sponsors for Barbuda’s New Gen Innovators entrepreneurship workshop for ages 13–16. Public Health & Environment: Minister Michael Joseph opened a “Food as Medicine, Soil as Health” workshop linking soil health, nutrition and disease prevention. Medicinal Cannabis Oversight: The Minister toured the Antigua and Barbuda Medicinal Cannabis Authority, praising traceability and regulatory controls for transparent, compliant production. Tech & Trading Infrastructure: XBTFX launched an MCP Server and Skills Hub to let eligible trading accounts connect with developer tools via authenticated workflows. Regional Tech/Science Leadership: Sir Ronald Sanders assumed chairmanship of the OAS CIDI for six months, prioritizing cooperation across education, science and technology, tourism, energy resilience and maritime infrastructure.

Medicinal Cannabis Oversight: Health Minister Michael Joseph toured the Antigua and Barbuda Medicinal Cannabis Authority and licensed facilities, praising traceability systems using coded IDs, scanning tech, and weight checks as the industry moves toward safer, more transparent production. Flood-Ready Public Health: At a workshop titled “Food as Medicine, Soil as Health,” Joseph pushed an integrated approach linking soil, nutrition, and disease prevention, with researchers and clinicians from AUA and partner universities in the room. Education Expansion: Cabinet heard updates on the Five Islands Primary School staying on schedule and the UWI Five Islands Campus expansion moving through procurement, with about 18 firms expressing interest ahead of the August 14 bid deadline. Digital Justice Debate: Opposition Senator Malaka Parker urged tighter safeguards in Antigua and Barbuda’s Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, arguing digital production orders should be as specific as traditional search warrants. Earthquake Check: A magnitude 3.9 quake was recorded northeast of Antigua and Barbuda; the SRC said there were no immediate reports of damage. Tech for Trading: XBTFX launched an MCP Server and Skills Hub to let eligible trading accounts connect with authenticated, programmable workflows for market data and structured trade requests.

Education & Skills: Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) held its inaugural commencement, graduating 200+ students as the nation unifies programmes from ASC, ABIIT and ABHTI, while Cabinet also pushed ahead on the Five Islands Primary School and the UWI Five Islands Campus expansion (with 18 firms expressing interest). Digital Capacity: OECS and partners marked progress on a digital skills push, with 172 scholarship recipients recognized after year-long training through CARDTP and the OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme. Health & Research: Minister Michael Joseph backed a “Food as Medicine, Soil as Health” workshop linking soil health, nutrition and preventive care, and he also congratulated ABEMS’ Brandon Browne on a Master’s in Acute Medicine. Cybercrime Law: Opposition Senator Malaka Parker urged tighter precision in Antigua and Barbuda’s Electronic Crimes Bill search powers, arguing production orders should mirror the specificity of traditional search warrants. Climate & Disaster Readiness: Antigua and Barbuda advanced flood preparedness with a national early warning workshop, as the region also recorded a small quake northeast of the islands. Regional Tech & Tourism Policy: OECS intensified community-based tourism planning in Saint Lucia, training officials to turn local communities into primary beneficiaries of tourism growth.

Public Health & Environment: Health Minister Michael Joseph opened an AUA-led workshop, “Food as Medicine, Soil as Health,” urging Antigua and Barbuda to treat soil, nutrition, water and environment as core disease-prevention tools. Emergency Care Upskilling: Joseph also congratulated ABEMS critical care paramedic Brandon Browne on completing a Master of Science in Acute Medicine. Flood Tech Upgrade: Antigua and Barbuda is building flood forecasting and warning Standard Operating Procedures, laying groundwork for the Urban and Flash Flood Information System (UFFIS) to better predict impacts and guide faster protective action. Digital Skills Boost: OECS and partners recognized 172 scholarship recipients completing year-long advanced digital training for the region’s tech workforce. Cybercrime Law Debate: Opposition Senator Malaka Parker pushed for tighter limits on electronic production orders in the Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, arguing they should be as specific as traditional search warrants. Regional Tech & Tourism: OECS ran a community-based tourism capacity workshop in Saint Lucia, supported by the RIGHT programme. Earthquake Check: A magnitude 3.9 quake was recorded northeast of Antigua and Barbuda with no immediate damage reported. Reparations Education: ABRSC named 2026 essay competition winners and announced Professor Sir Hilary Beckles as the Watchnight Gathering feature speaker.

Flood Tech Upgrade: Antigua and Barbuda is moving from “predicting rain” to “predicting flood impacts,” with a June workshop laying Standard Operating Procedures and paving the way for UFFIS, an Urban and Flash Flood Information System to guide faster, actionable warnings. Digital Rights in Cybercrime Law: Opposition Senator Malaka Parker pushed for tighter limits on electronic production orders in the Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, arguing digital search powers should be as specific as traditional warrants. Education & Skills: The UWI warned about a fraudulent website using its branding, while OECS digital skills efforts recognized 172 scholarship recipients with industry certifications. STEM & Campus Growth: Antigua and Barbuda’s UWI Five Islands Campus expansion is set for bidding (about $80m) with construction expected before year-end. Climate & Environment: A coastal EIA cleared the way for a Pearns Point luxury villa, but requires strict safeguards for erosion, storm surge and flooding. Regional Science & Safety: A magnitude 3.9 quake was recorded northeast of Antigua and Barbuda; CWI also advanced plans for an Antigua High Performance Centre. Reparations & Community: ABRSC announced Professor Sir Hilary Beckles as the Watchnight Gathering speaker and named 2026 essay competition winners. Tech in Finance: UNI Global Union raised concerns about fintech moving into Caribbean banking without matching regulation and taxes.

Flood Forecasting Upgrade: Antigua and Barbuda is building new flood warning procedures and drafting national Standard Operating Procedures, with plans for the Urban and Flash Flood Information System (UFFIS) to shift from predicting rain to predicting impacts on roads, communities, and emergency access. Digital Skills Boost: The OECS Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme recognized 172 scholarship recipients after a year of training and industry certifications, delivered through the CARDTP and UWI Global Campus. University Expansion: The UWI Five Islands Campus expansion is moving toward construction, with an $80-million Saudi-funded bidding process closing end of July and site walks already underway. Cyber Safety Alert: The UWI warned the public about an unauthorised website using its branding and collecting personal data, urging people to verify only through official channels. Earthquake Watch: A magnitude 3.9 quake was recorded northeast of Antigua and Barbuda, with no immediate damage reports. Tech Policy in Parliament: Opposition Senator Malaka Parker pushed for tighter, clearer standards in Antigua and Barbuda’s electronic crimes search powers, arguing digital production orders should be as specific as traditional warrants. Youth Entrepreneurship: Barbuda’s barbudanGO-backed New Gen Innovators workshop added ACB Caribbean and Digicel as part-sponsors to support youth business planning and pitches.

Cybercrime Law Debate: Opposition Senator Malaka Parker pushed for tighter limits on digital search powers, arguing electronic production orders should be as precise as traditional search warrants. Flood Tech Upgrade: Antigua and Barbuda is building new flood forecasting and warning procedures, with work underway on UFFIS to better predict impacts and guide emergency action. Disaster Readiness & Earthquake Watch: A magnitude 3.9 quake was recorded northeast of Antigua and Barbuda, while a UWI seismologist warns the islands need stronger earthquake monitoring infrastructure. Education & Digital Skills: The UWI Five Islands Campus expansion is moving toward construction before year-end, and OECS CARDTP’s digital skills scholarship recognized 172 trainees. Youth Mental Health: Antigua and Barbuda launched the Young Caribbean Minds chat line and released a youth mental health research report to inform new legislation. Regional Tech & Finance: UNI Global Union raised concerns about fintech moving into Caribbean banking without matching regulation and taxes. Local Innovation: A new Barbuda entrepreneurship workshop backed by ACB Caribbean and Digicel trained 13–16-year-olds to pitch community solutions.

Passport Power Watch: The Global Passport Index 2026 says the gap between the strongest and weakest passports is at its widest since 2021, with the US sliding to 12th and Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs still punching above economic weight—Antigua and Barbuda included. Flood Tech & Early Warning: Antigua and Barbuda is moving toward more actionable flood forecasting, with draft national Standard Operating Procedures and groundwork for the Urban and Flash Flood Information System (UFFIS) to help authorities predict impacts, not just rainfall. Cyber Safety: The UWI warns the public about an unauthorised site using its branding and collecting personal data, urging people to verify only through official channels. Digital Skills Boost: OECS CARDTP/UWI Global Campus training just recognized 172 scholarship recipients with industry certifications, pushing more people into a tech-driven workforce. Sargassum “Blue Gold”: A Trinidad group is pitching a processing system to turn harvested sargassum into organic fertiliser and compost, building on new beach-clearing equipment. Youth Mental Health: Antigua and Barbuda launched the Young Caribbean Minds chat line and a youth mental health research report to feed into new mental health legislation.

Flood Tech Upgrade: Antigua and Barbuda is drafting new flood forecasting and warning Standard Operating Procedures, with work feeding into the Urban and Flash Flood Information System (UFFIS) to help authorities predict impacts and act faster. Sargassum “Blue Gold”: A Trinidad-based environmental group is pitching a sargassum-to-fertiliser processing plan, arguing new beach-clearing tractors can support a local processing industry. Digital Skills Boost: The OECS CARDTP programme recognized 172 scholarship recipients with industry certifications, delivered via UWI Global Campus. Higher Education Expansion: The UWI Five Islands Campus expansion (an $80m Saudi-funded project) is moving toward construction before year-end, with bidding closing end of July. Youth Mental Health: Antigua and Barbuda launched a Young Caribbean Minds mental health chat line and released a youth research report to shape the country’s mental health care bill. Cyber Safety: The UWI warned the public about a fraudulent website using its branding and collecting personal data. STEM Pipeline: ECCB announced a free 2026 STEM Camp starting July 6 for ages 14–18 across ECCU territories. Earthquake Watch: A magnitude 4.2 quake was recorded east of Antigua and Barbuda; no immediate damage reported.

Flood Forecasting Upgrade: Antigua and Barbuda is drafting its first comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures for flood forecasting and warning, shifting from predicting rainfall to predicting impacts—so officials can anticipate road flooding and community cutoffs using the Urban Flash Flood Information System (UFFIS). Cyber Safety: The UWI warns of an unauthorised website using its branding to capture personal data, urging people to verify only through official channels. Youth Mental Health Tech: Antigua and Barbuda launched the Young Caribbean Minds Mental Health Chat Line and released a youth mental health research report that will feed into the country’s Mental Health Care Bill, based on input from 1,000+ young people. STEM for the Next Wave: The ECCB announced a free 2026 STEM Camp (ages 14–18) across ECCU territories, while the Education Ministry confirmed the return of STEM InFuSED (ages 8–17) running July 6–Aug 11. Seismic Reminder: A magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded east of Antigua and Barbuda, and a UWI seismologist renewed calls to strengthen local earthquake monitoring. Local Tech & Business: UNI Global Union says Caribbean labour laws lag behind technology, and fintech is raising concerns about fair competition and worker impacts; meanwhile, Antigua’s Chamber of Commerce elected Celia Samuel as president.

Caribbean Banking Watch: Scotiabank is buying the rest of its Jamaica unit, taking Scotia Group Jamaica private and delisting it—raising the big question of who will control regional finance and how local economies stay plugged into global systems. Youth Mental Health Tech: Antigua and Barbuda launched the Young Caribbean Minds mental health chat line and a youth mental health research report to shape the country’s Mental Health Care Bill, with UNICEF and UWI support. STEM for the Next Wave: ECCB announced a free 2026 STEM Camp across ECCU territories, while Antigua’s Education Ministry confirmed the return of STEM InFuSED Camp for ages 8–17. Disaster Readiness: A magnitude 4.2 quake was recorded east of Antigua and Barbuda, and a UWI seismologist urged upgrading local earthquake monitoring stations. Digital Connectivity Oversight: Regulators said a Flow outage in Dominica and Saint Lucia was linked to a fibre transmission fault between Guadeloupe and Antigua, and they’re pushing for stronger network resilience. Health Equipment Donation: Antigua and Barbuda formalized a donation of eye care equipment from China’s He Vision Group to expand ophthalmic services. Barbuda Entrepreneurship: ACB Caribbean and Digicel co-sponsored barbudanGO’s New Gen Innovators workshop, training teens to solve community problems and pitch business plans. Coastal Engineering Plan: Cabinet engaged a coastal engineering firm to assess and design the Fort James Renaissance Park beach redevelopment.

Youth Mental Health Tech: Antigua and Barbuda launched the Young Caribbean Minds Mental Health Chat Line and released a youth mental health research report to feed into the country’s Mental Health Care Bill, with UNICEF and UWI support and input from 1,000+ young people. STEM Pipeline: ECCB announced a free 2026 STEM Camp (July 6) across ECCU territories, and the Education Ministry is running STEM InFuSED (July 6–Aug 11) for ages 8–17. Digital Connectivity & Resilience: Regulators said a Flow outage in Dominica and Saint Lucia was linked to a fibre transmission fault between Guadeloupe and Antigua, with plans for alternative routes and added fibre paths. Disaster Readiness: ABMS and WMO will host a workshop to develop standard operating procedures for flood forecasting and warning. Coastal Engineering: Cabinet engaged a firm for coastal assessment and preliminary engineering design for Fort James Renaissance Park. Science & Safety: UWI SRC reported a magnitude 4.2 earthquake east of Antigua and Barbuda; a UWI seismologist also urged upgrading local earthquake monitoring. Business & Innovation: Celia Samuel was elected president of the Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Commerce, and Barbuda’s New Gen Innovators workshop added ACB Caribbean and Digicel as part-sponsors.

Chamber Leadership: Celia Samuel has been elected president of the Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Commerce for 2026–2027, with a board focused on innovation, partnerships, and private-sector advocacy. Youth Entrepreneurship in Barbuda: ACB Caribbean and Digicel co-sponsor the 2026 New Gen Innovators workshop, backing 13–16-year-olds to solve community problems, build business plans, and pitch to local entrepreneurs. STEM Push: The ECCB is set to launch a free 2026 STEM Camp across ECCU territories, while the Education Ministry also returns STEM InFuSED (ages 8–17) for hands-on science and tech learning. Disaster Readiness: UWI’s seismic researchers urge Antigua and Barbuda to upgrade earthquake monitoring, as a magnitude 4.2 quake was recorded east of the islands. Flood Warning Systems: ABMS and WMO are running a national workshop to develop standard procedures for flood forecasting and warning. Healthcare Tech Support: He Vision Group is donating eye care equipment to expand diagnostic and treatment capacity. Mental Health Hotline: Young Caribbean Minds launches a youth chat line and a research report to shape the country’s mental health legislation. Coastal Engineering for Fort James: Cabinet has engaged a coastal engineering firm to assess shoreline stability and design the Fort James Renaissance Park. Connectivity Oversight: Regulators are investigating a Flow outage in Dominica and Saint Lucia linked to a fibre path fault between Guadeloupe and Antigua. Quality Assurance Upgrade: ABNAB is ramping up accreditation training and rolling out digital transformation to strengthen standards and international recognition.