Prime Minister Gaston Browne has set an ambitious national target for every household in Antigua and Barbuda to have at least one university graduate by the year 2030.

Speaking during debate on the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) Bill, Browne said the government’s expansive investment in education was rooted in the belief that “intellectual development is key to economic development.”

“This is our aspiration. It may sound ambitious, but we do not limit our ambition,” he said. “We want every single home by 2030 to have at least one person with a degree.”

Browne linked the new ABCAS legislation directly to this goal, describing it as a vital part of a broader mission to expand access to higher education. The bill, passed with unanimous support in Parliament, merges four tertiary institutions into a single statutory body, with the long-term goal of upgrading the college to university status.

He said the initiative reflects his administration’s belief that education must be holistic, inclusive, and transformative — from early childhood to university. “We are pursuing the intellectual development of our people in a holistic way,” Browne said. “What we’re doing here is quintessential to the sustainable development of this country.”

The Prime Minister also reaffirmed support for the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus and highlighted the government’s track record in funding thousands of local and overseas scholarships, including during the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is not by accident. This is by choice,” he said. “We are building out these facilities for our people — and it is for them to avail themselves of the opportunity.”