Prime Minister Gaston Browne says government spending on a major expansion of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus is expected to begin by the third quarter of this year, as part of a broader push to strengthen education and workforce development.

Speaking on the Browne and Browne programme, Browne said the project represents a significant public investment in human capital, with more than $200 million earmarked for the campus.

“We’re spending over $200 million [on the] UWI Five Islands campus,” Browne said, outlining the scale of the planned expansion.

He added that the timeline for construction and development is already taking shape.

“That spend should commence by about… if not second, by the third quarter of this year, the latest,” he said.

Browne said the expansion is intended to equip Antiguans and Barbudans with the skills needed for a modern economy, pointing to plans to broaden academic offerings at the institution.

“We want to make sure that we develop modern skills for our people,” he said.

The prime minister indicated that new programmes, including law and banking and finance, are being considered as part of the campus’s continued development, with the aim of reducing reliance on imported labour in key sectors.

He framed the initiative as central to the government’s long-term development strategy, saying investment in education is critical to improving economic opportunity and ensuring sustainable growth.