MARK BRANTLEY

He is a young leader taking the reigns and spearheading the growth and charting the course of the Island he so dearly loves. The term, ‘the young shall grow’ has come to play in the changing circumstances and complexities of this modern world. Mark Brantley, the Oxford educated lawyer and barrister is the Premier of Nevis, an island in the Leeward isles of the Caribbean. At 49, he embodies the new dynamic Carribbean wanting it’s voice not only to be heard but to be properly articulated on the world stage.

Brantley the Lawyer has acted in several notable international litigation. He attended Charlestown Secondary School, had his higher education at the University of the West Indies where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws after which he went to the Norman Manley Law School where he received a Legal Education Certificate of Merit. Brantley completed his studies at St Catherine’s College, a college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom (which he attended as a Commonwealth Scholar) where he completed a Bachelor of Civil Law. Brantley has been admitted to the bar in St Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.

From 2007-2015, he served as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. In 2015, he went on to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the St. Christopher and Nevis Federal Government and also as the Deputy Premier of the Nevis Island Administration and held the portfolio of Minister of Tourism, Health, Culture, Youth, Sports, and Community Development in that government. He’s a big thinker a to boot. On 18 December 2017, he was elected Premier of Nevis. Brantley the Nevis Première has been vocal on the world stage. He also hosts a weekly two hour political talk-show on VON Radio 860AM and is married with two daughters. Yet Brantley is not all work and no play. He hangs out with his people, dresses down when required to unwind and loves listening to reggae music. He speaks to RUTH OSIME, Fashion Director/Executive Editor THISDAY Style on holidays, weddings and prospects of business opportunities between Nevis and Nigeria and so much more...

If you could find a sentence that best describes Nevis, what would that sentence be?

Nevis is an island of majestic beauty, which reminds us of how the Caribbean used to be.

We are a nation of over 180 million people, the largest in the African continent. As Nigerians, we have heard of and visited places like Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago as the elite amongst us like to travel and explore the world looking for locations to relax with family and loved ones. How is it that a beautiful Island like Nevis is still relatively unknown to us?

Perhaps because we are among the smallest Caribbean islands (being part of the smallest Nation in the region St Kitts and Nevis) and have not had the large budgets for massive global tourism promotions. But Nevis caters to a very exclusive high net worth clientele with its flagship Four Seasons Resort and a constellation of bespoke plantation inns and luxurious private villas. We have an abundance of fine secluded beaches, deepsea fishing, diving, world-class golf and spas, gourmet dining and a rich history. It has been a well-kept secret for too long and we invite all of Nigeria to come and experience what we are privileged to call our home.

Nigeria recently signed a visa-free pact with Ecuador. What, if any, are the visa requirements for Nigerians to visit Nevis?

Nigerians do not require visas to enter St Kitts and Nevis for holiday stays.

There are currently no direct flights between Nigeria and the Caribbean. Is this something you can champion as we believe it would be a busy flight because of the immense historical narrative between Africa and the Caribbean. One flight a week perhaps?

Yes we would very much like to see direct air service introduced. It has always struck me as sad that the Caribbean has direct daily flights to major cities in the United States and Europe but none to our motherland, Africa. We, of the Caribbean, are part of the African Diaspora and I would welcome direct service from Nigeria to St Kitts and Nevis. Besides, many Nigerian students attend medical universities in St Kitts and Nevis so there is already a potential market for weekly travel. I would welcome discussions with African carriers to introduce such a direct service.

Our readership like good quality hotels, spas, good food. They also like the opportunity to play sport, tennis, golf and generally keep fit and re-charge their batteries whilst on holiday. Families also welcome sandy beaches that are safe and the water is warm. Does Nevis tick all those boxes? If so, when would you suggest is the best time of year to visit Nevis?

Nevis ticks these boxes and more. Whether it is tennis, golf at the professional Robert Trent Jones Jr designed course at the Four Seasons Resort, spas, watersports, diving, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, gourmet dining or just enjoying a private Cabana on an exclusive beach, Nevis provides a perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja and your other famous cities and towns. In Nevis guests are encouraged to explore the island to enjoy the great history, the museums, the local markets and most of all the people. The Nevisian people are genuinely friendly and welcoming. In Nevis we say you are only a stranger once. The island offers excellent weather all year round as we are blessed with the prevailing breezes of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. Most Western country visitors come during their winter months of November to April. Our brothers and sisters from Nigeria are welcome to visit us at any time.

Over the past 20 years or so, Nigerians have increasingly holidayed in Dubai and the business community here have structured affairs there as a result of Dubai’s marketing prowess to our 180 million population. What do you think of Nevis seizing similar opportunity to the Nigerian market?

This is indeed what Nevis would like to do. We see tremendous opportunity for Nigerian travel and entrepreneurship to expand to the Caribbean. Whether it’s for rest and relaxation or for investment, Nevis is open for business and we would wish your readers to seriously consider visiting us for pleasure or business.

There is also the possibility of gaining Economic Citizenship through your innovative Citizenship by Investment Scheme (“CBI”). We understand the programme is the oldest and first of such in the Caribbean. Can you enlighten us more about this scheme?

We are exceedingly proud that St Kitts and Nevis pioneered the Citizenship by Investment programme in 1984 which allows investors to acquire St Kitts Nevis citizenship if they invest at the required minimum level and satisfy our stringent due diligence checks. Our programme is designed for high net worth individuals of the highest financial standing and probity. Imitation is the best form of flattery and we now see similar programmes emerging globally whether in Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, the United States or some of our Caribbean neighbours. To qualify for St Kitts Nevis citizenship, an investor must invest a one-off contribution of US$150,000 to our Sustainable Development Fund or a minimum of US$200,000 in real estate purchase in an approved development. Once our stringent due diligence process is completed, that investment would qualify the investor and his or her family for citizenship. The St Kitts Nevis passport is extremely valuable affording visa free travel to over 150 countries and territories including all of Western Europe, Brazil, Russia, Taiwan and all of the Caribbean. Many high net worth individuals are attracted to the programme because of its longevity, its adherence to strict standards of due diligence, its safety and security and the benefits of visa free travel afforded by the St Kitts Nevis passport.

How can Nigerians apply for this scheme and do we have to own property in Nevis in order to qualify?

Nigerians interested in the Citizenship by Investment programme can contact any of the licensed service providers listed on the official website of the Citizenship by Investment Unit https://www.ciu.gov.kn/. Owning a villa or condo in Nevis or St Kitts is one option but the one-off contribution to the Sustainable Development Fund is another option.

Is it one of the tenets of your Premiership to make Nevis a robust and global Financial Services centre? If so, does Nevis have the banks, accountants, lawyers, corporate services providers and the

In Nevis we say you are only a stranger once. The island offers excellent weather all year round as we are blessed with the prevailing breeze of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. Most Western country visitors come during their winter months of November to April. Our brothers and sisters from Nigeria are welcome to visit us at any time.

Already over 30,000 active global companies are registered in Nevis and we offer generous tax and related fiscal concessions to start ups and new registrants. I believe that Nigerians will find Nevis a welcome place to visit, work and do business with a cadre of highly skilled professionals to guide them.

enabling legislation to support such ambition?

Nevis has offered a suite of financial services products now for over 30 years. We are a small but well regulated and mature financial services centre. With local and international banks having a presence in Nevis along with several accounting, corporate services and legal services firms, the island is well positioned to move to the next level in its expansion of the financial services sector. Already over 30,000 active global companies are registered in Nevis and we offer generous tax and related fiscal concessions to start ups and new registrants. I believe that Nigerians will find Nevis a welcome place to visit, work and do business with a cadre of highly skilled professionals to guide them.

How does a businessman go about registering a company and setting up a bank account in Nevis? Do you have offshore banks in Nevis?

The process is fairly simple but again the emphasis is on compliance with the stringent due diligence and regulatory framework. Once due diligence requirements are met, businessmen and women in Nigeria can establish companies in Nevis within a few days. I would invite your readers to access the list of licensed corporate services providers and lawyers at the official site for the Nevis Financial Services Department and allow the professionals there to guide them http://www. nevisfsrc.com/.”

You are a young leader in the Caribbean. How has your upbringing and personal journey coloured the way you see Nevis and the Caribbean and shaped your ideas for Nevis under your Premiership?

I feel that we are blessed to be able to call the Caribbean our home. Our people are a resilient people forged in the harsh crucible of slavery and now seeking to find our own way in the world. From famous names like Bob Marley in music, Usain Bolt in athletics, Aimé Césaire in literature and our Nobel Laureates Arthur Lewis, Derek Walcott and VS Naipaul, we have proven that we can compete successfully on the global stage despite our relative small size. My vision for Nevis is to transform this little island into the best place in the region to live and work where continued peace, harmony and the rule of law continue to be our guiding principles. The Nevis that I desire is one where every little boy and girl is given the necessary educational and other tools to aspire to be anything that he or she wishes. We are ultimately limited not by our small geographic size or our tiny population but only by the extent of our ambitions.

You were most out-spoken on the issue of Windrush and the subsequent plight of Caribbean nationals that journeyed to the United Kingdom in the 1950’s. We were very impressed by the position you took on this. What ignited you to be so vociferous on this issue?

A grave injustice was being done to Caribbean peoples. Some 550,000 heeded the call of then Mother England to help her rebuild after the ravages of World War II. They went in ships from every Caribbean port whilst we were all still colonies and parts of the British Empire. They were therefore British subjects responding to the call for help from Britain. My own father, of blessed memory, was among the multitude that heeded the call. The English speaking Caribbean lost nearly 15% of its then population to the Windrush era. The thought then, that nearly 70 years after, the first wave arrived on the “Empire Windrush”, some of these same people who had toiled to rebuild England and who had faced formidable odds in so doing could be denied benefits in England and subjected to detention and deportation was reprehensible. The Commonwealth Heads summit in London provided the perfect backdrop for this injustice to be exposed. I am happy that the Caribbean led this charge and that we were able to secure important apologies from the U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May and policy changes in dealing with this issue to the benefit of Caribbean peoples of the Windrush generation”.

What is your view of Nigeria and Nigerians?

Nigeria is a country of great wealth and a leading Nation in Africa and the world. Nigerians have made their mark globally. We have great respect and admiration for the Nigerian people and I hope that they will answer my clarion call to visit and invest in my island of Nevis.

Have you had the chance to visit Nigeria? If so where did you go? And if not, do you plan on doing so in the future to build a budding and mutually benefiting relationship between the two countries?

I have had many invitations but sadly not yet the chance to visit your beautiful country. I hope to do so later this year.

Do you have Nigerian friends? Maybe from your College days and are there any Nigerians you know

of currently living in Nevis? I have many Nigerian friends and acquaintances and yes we have Nigerians living here in Nevis and making their contribution to the development of our island home.

If one were to plan a dream-wedding do you think that Nevis should be a topchoice?

Nevis is known as the island of romance and was in 2017 named the most romantic island in the Caribbean. https://www. caribjournal.com/2017/04/10/caribbeansromantic-islands-readers-choice-2017/amp/ So naturally weddings and honeymoons are prevalent here for visitors from around the world. Whether a wedding on the beach or in our lush mountains or at a private villa or in one of our historic churches, wedding planners in Nevis will ensure that you create beautiful memories for you and your spouse.

Are the wedding planners able to plan and put together such a dream wedding? Which beach would you recommend the wedding to be had?

“Yes absolutely. Wedding planners and the various hotels and their staff will be delighted to plan every detail of your dream wedding. We have a large number of beaches to choose from whether windswept beaches on the Atlantic coast or white sandy beaches on our Caribbean coast. Pinney’s Beach is the most famous five mile stretch but Paradise Beach or the aptly called Lovers Beach are also great options.

Do you have a Nevis marathon? If so, when does it hold and do you have runners from all over the world participating?

Nevis promotes active lifestyles and we do have an annual marathon and running festival which takes place this year from 6-8 September. We also have a famous open water Nevis to St Kitts swim, which takes place each year in March and an annual Triathlon which takes place this year on November 10th. Athletes come from around the World to compete or just to have fun at these events. We invite your readers to come and be a part of these active lifestyle events.

Also when do you hold the CultuRama in Nevis?

Culturama is a unique summer festival held in Nevis over the past 44 years, which showcases the culture food and folklore of the Nevisian people. It takes place from late July to early August each year and culminates with an explosion of dance, colour and music on the streets of Charlestown. Nigerians would love this festival. Next year we celebrate the milestone 45 years and look forward to your readers joining us for the celebration.

As a parting question do you prefer calypso, SoCa, reggae, Dance-hall, R&B, Gospel, Classical or rap? Do you know any Nigerian artists? What are you currently listening to on your iPod? Do you watch and any Nollywood Films and what book are you currently reading?

I love all Caribbean music but especially reggae. I am currently listening to Chronnix who is leading the reggae genre right now. Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage is a good friend and I was the executive producer on his solo album “Reggae Music Lives”. I am not so familiar with Nigerian artists but love Davido. Nollywood films are popular in Nevis but I confess I am not much of a film person. Film and magazine producers however may wish to consider Nevis for their next film or photo shoot. I am currently reading the completely scandalous book by my dear friend George Wayne “Anyone Who’s Anyone” chronicling his famous interviews with celebrities from his years at the famous Vanity Fair magazine.