In a powerful address marking Vanuatu’s 45th Independence Anniversary, Prime Minister Jotham Napat urged all citizens to uphold unity, respect, and a long-term vision for the nation’s development, as the country navigates ongoing political and economic challenges.
“Individual efforts alone cannot build Vanuatu,” the PM declared. “Disrespecting one another cannot bring national harmony. And divisive political thinking is like a cancer that has caused many setbacks in our country’s progress over the past 30 years.”
Speaking during the national celebration, Napat said that Vanuatu is one country made up of 83 islands, from the north to the south, and that the nation must move beyond a narrow focus on maritime borders.
Instead, he called on citizens to reaffirm the country’s full sovereignty—a vision he said was strengthened by what he described as a “very positive nakamal discussion” with French President Emmanuel Macron during a recent visit to Paris.
“As Vanuatu positions itself in the region and the world,” Napat said, “I appeal to every citizen to work together to uphold unity and peace in our communities, islands, and provinces, so that we can build a strong and healthy nation—resilient enough to stand against today’s pressures.”
PM Napat referred to the current difficulties faced by Vanuatu as “birth pains”—the growing challenges that come with nation-building. He noted that although the country remains a small island state with limited resources, the government is not focused solely on short-term issues. Instead, it is laying the foundation to achieve long-term national goals as Vanuatu moves toward its Golden Jubilee and the end of The People’s Plan in 2030.
“I ask everyone to understand what the Government is doing as it sets the groundwork and restructures what is necessary for the future development of our country,” he said.
To guide the nation forward, PM Napat spoke of what he called Vanuatu’s “chart and compass”: Faith in God and traditional Melanesian values.
“I believe that by staying true to these principles, we will never go off-track, even with changes in leadership,” he said. “These foundations will always remain strong because they are rooted in the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu.”
Quoting the country’s first PM, Father Walter Lini, Napat recalled a powerful message from 1980: “We are moving into a period of rapid change rather like a canoe entering a patch of rough water: God and custom must be the sail and the steering-paddle of our canoe.”
Napat said Vanuatu’s founding fathers never expected an easy path but placed their trust in God, local knowledge, and traditional wisdom—a legacy the nation must continue to uphold.
Referencing a statement he made earlier in Parliament, PM Napat reminded the nation of a quote by former U.S President Franklin D. Roosevelt:
“Rough seas make good sailors.”
In Bislama: “Strongfala solwota i save help blong shapem wan gud sailor.”
He said that despite the country’s diversity and small size, the founding leaders called firmly for national unity. Once again quoting Fr Lini, he said: “Our new republic will need the energy and ability of each of its citizens in the tasks of nation-building and national development… We cannot and must not waste our talents in internal quarrelling. The spirit of unity—like the trees, which many of you planted, as symbols last week—can only grow if it is nourished… If we all want unity and harmony in Vanuatu, we shall achieve it.”
PM Napat also called on all citizens to continue to persevere, regardless of the circumstances, and to honour the struggles and determination of former leaders and past governments.
“As we look to the future,” he said, “let us stay grounded in faith, tradition, and a shared commitment to unity. This is how we will continue to grow as a truly free and sovereign nation,” said PM Napat.
