The first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit ended in Abuja on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, with participants identifying economic development, infrastructure, social development, security, climate and environment, digital economy, sustainable financing and institutional delivery as critical priorities for the region’s long-term transformation.
The Summit which took into cognizance and recognized security as a major challenge to development in the region, recommended a coordinated regional security and peacebuilding framework to support statutory security institutions through timely intelligence sharing, community engagement, early warning and inter-state coordination.
While adopting a seven-point communiqué, participants at the Summit outlined key priority areas for the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to accelerate the transformation and development of the region.
The communiqué which was read by Professor Muhammad Bashar Nuhu, Executive Director, Finance, and Chairman of the Technical Committee of the NCDC, followed two days of deliberations on the theme: “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region”.
The Stakeholders Summit observed that the North Central region possesses extensive agricultural land, water, mineral and energy resources, human capital, markets and a strategic geographical location.
However, participants noted that the assets have yet to consistently translate into commensurate productivity, incomes, industrial capacity and improved social outcomes.
The Summit tasked the NCDC to develop a GIS-enabled regional economic database under economic development, to undertake state-by-state mapping of comparative advantages, productive assets, land, farms, water, crops, minerals, infrastructure gaps and investment opportunities.
The communique also called for the development of state-specific agricultural and livestock value chains covering quality inputs, mechanisation, irrigation, farmer capacity, storage, processing, packaging, branding, logistics and exports, with priority projects sequenced into bankable quick wins.
On infrastructure, participants recommended an integrated North Central infrastructure programme linking the six states and the Federal Capital Territory through strategic roads, rail, inland waterways and logistics systems.
It further stated; “The programme should prioritise rehabilitation and completion of corridors that unlock agricultural production, markets and investment, while giving urgent consideration to high-impact routes such as the Abuja–Lokoja Road. The Summit also recommended assessing the phased feasibility of regional rail, Baro inland-port logistics, dry-port connections and modern freight systems.
“Participants called for a disaggregated North Central human-capital and social-inclusion data system covering children, youth, women, persons with disabilities, indigent households and rural communities to guide needs-based interventions and measure outcomes”.
The Summit also recommended a safe and inclusive education framework to reduce school dropout, strengthen existing schools, address teacher shortages, improve affordability and learning quality, and provide accessible facilities, learning materials and support for persons with disabilities.
It also advocated the lawful and responsible deployment of satellite imagery, drones, geospatial systems and other technology-enabled intelligence tools, backed by clear authority, safeguards and operational response protocols.
On climate and environmental challenges, participants proposed a North Central Climate and Disaster Resilience Programme, beginning with geo-referenced mapping of flood, erosion, drought, mining and other environmental hazards.
The communique stated that the programme should include community risk profiles, early-warning systems and effective evacuation protocols, as well as priority interventions on flooding and erosion through desilting, drainage clearing, protection of waterways, erosion control and review of dam and reservoir solutions.
Towards this end, participants called for stronger enforcement against unsafe development along flood corridors.
In the area of digital economy, the Summit urged NCDC to develop an inclusive regional digital infrastructure programme to expand broadband connectivity and affordable digital access across the six states, the Federal Capital Territory, local governments, wards and underserved rural communities.
The Summit also recommended the establishment of AI, digital-skills and teacher-training centres across the Mandate States, beginning with functional computer-enabled facilities in primary schools and progressively expanding access to technology-supported education.
Participants observed that public funding alone would not be sufficient to deliver the region’s development ambitions and therefore recommended matching financing instruments to the economics and public value of individual projects, with commercially viable projects attracting private investment, projects with strong economic benefits but weaker initial returns utilising blended finance, and essential non-commercial services receiving appropriate public funding.
The communique further stated that as a means of providing a durable institutional framework for implementation, participants called on NCDC to give the 20-Year Plan formal legal and institutional backing through adoption, aligned state action and governance arrangements capable of sustaining implementation beyond electoral cycles.
The Summit also recommended establishing a Programme Management Office within NCDC to coordinate flagship programmes, project preparation, financing, implementation support, risk management, stakeholder engagement and performance reporting.
It further called for clearly defined responsibilities among NCDC, the Mandate States, FCT, federal institutions, local governments, traditional institutions, the private sector, communities and development partners, with an accountable owner and resource pathway for every intervention.
Meanwhile, the NCDC has signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) as part of efforts to harness the agricultural and entrepreneurial potential of the region.
The agreements followed months of engagements and visits by NCDC to both agencies aimed at leveraging their expertise, structures and experience to unlock the agricultural potential of the North Central region, widely regarded as a major food-producing zone, while strengthening entrepreneurship and enterprise development.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, Dr. Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, NIRSAL Executive Director Ewaen Imohe, and SMEDAN Director General Charles Odii pledged to collaborate towards making the region more economically productive and viable.
The Chairman of the NCDC Governing Board, Mr. Cosmas Akighir, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Regional Development, Dr. Mary Ogbe, expressed support for the partnerships and pledged appropriate oversight.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Tsenyil thanked participants for their active and patriotic participation, noting that their contributions would help shape the performance and long-term legacy of the Commission.
A statement by Dr. Makut Simon Macham, Head of Media and Communications Department of the NCDC stated that the Chairman of the Central Steering Committee, Alhaji Suleiman Baba Ali, commended the impressive participation and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, special guests and stakeholders for making time to attend and contribute to the Summit.
Ali also appreciated members of the Central Steering Committee and the various sub-committees for their sacrifices, commitment and dedication towards delivering a successful Summit.
