Fiji, April 28 -- Former Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa has challenged Pacific leaders and institutions to rethink development, warning that the region's future depends on whether people can build meaningful lives at home.

Addressing the 2026 State of the Pacific conference at Australian National University (ANU), Mata'afa said the core issue is not migration, but whether staying remains a real option.

"When I first became Prime Minister, I was asked a question many leaders are asked: What is your vision? My answer was deliberately simple: "I want a Samoa where people want to stay - and where they have a stake."

She made it clear that mobility has always been part of Pacific identity, but should not come at the cost of belon...