Nippes at 23: Volcy Assad calls for a new development drive

Journalist Volcy Assad has called for a "new development dynamic" for the Nippes department, marking the 23rd anniversary of its creation, celebrated on Friday, October 30, 2026. In a message to residents and the diaspora, reported by Lakay Info 509 and Juno7, he urged that territorial development be made a priority.

Volcy Assad, who also goes by Assad Volcy, is described by Lakay Info 509 as a career journalist, owner of Gazette News Haïti and a former communications director at the National Palace. The same outlet reported on Wednesday, September 30, that he had registered as a voter in Nippes and was considering running in the next Senate elections in the department. According to that article, "no official candidacy has been confirmed at this stage" (translated from French).

Decentralization and local resources

In his message, Volcy Assad calls for stronger decentralization, good local governance and a greater role for local authorities in planning and carrying out projects, so that every commune benefits. He urges better use of the department's assets – farmland, marine resources, landscapes and residents' skills – to develop agriculture, fishing, tourism and entrepreneurship.

He also stresses social needs: quality education, local healthcare, passable roads and decent jobs, so that young people can build their futures in their own region. He highlights the role of young people, the peasantry and the diaspora, which he wants fully involved in transforming the department.

On culture, he calls for preserving Nippes' heritage, citing historian Beaubrun Ardouin and poet Coriolan Ardouin, both from Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, and for passing oral traditions, festivals and local arts on to younger generations. He also recalls Miragoâne's place in Haitian political history, notably during the events of 1883.

He closes in Haitian Creole: "Ann mete tèt ansanm pou n fè richès Nip tounen byennèt pou tout pitit li yo. Avni Nip se nan men nou li ye." ("Let us come together to turn the wealth of Nippes into well-being for all its children. The future of Nippes is in our hands.")

The country's youngest department

Created in 2003 from the eastern part of Grand'Anse, Nippes is Haiti's tenth department. Its capital is Miragoâne. It has three arrondissements, eleven communes and 37 communal sections, covering about 1,268 km².