The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has concluded plans to convene its maiden North Central Stakeholders’ Development Summit scheduled to hold on September 14 and 15, 2026 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja (formerly Sheraton Hotel).
The two-day Summit with the theme; “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,” will attract top political leaders, key government institutions, traditional rulers, technocrats, private sector players, youth and women groups, persons with disabilities, development partners, and other critical stakeholders to deliberate on a comprehensive development agenda for the region.
A statement by Dr. Makut Simon Macham, Head of Media and Corporate Communications of the NCDC, stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is expected to grace the occasion as Distinguished Guest of Honour while Vice President Kashim Shettima, will serve as Special Guest.
The statement further said that the Summit will also be honoured by the presence of former Heads of State and illustrious sons of the region: General Yakubu Gowon, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who are expected to attend as Fathers of the Day.
Similarly, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Ndatsu Umaru (retd.), former military Governor of Kano and Kwara States, will serve as Chairman of the Occasion while Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State and Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, will be the Chief Host.
Umaru will lead Governors of the six other North Central States and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to the Summit.
The Keynote Address will be delivered by renowned academic, diplomat, politician, and administrator, Professor Iorwuese Hagher, who will lead discussions on the Summit’s central theme and the imperative for a long-term, coordinated, and sustainable development strategy for the region.
Speaking ahead of the Summit, the Chairman of the NCDC, Mr. Cosmas Akighir, said the event would provide a strategic platform for stakeholders to collectively examine the development challenges and opportunities confronting the region, and to chart a new course for its holistic transformation.
Akighir also said the Summit will convene stakeholders from government, the private sector, development partners, academia, and civil society to develop a shared vision and actionable framework for the sustainable development of the North Central geopolitical zone.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, Dr. Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, said the Summit was deliberately convened to galvanize strategic stakeholders within the North Central region and beyond, in order to actualize the mandate of the Commission.
Tsenyil further said that the Summit would also provide an opportunity to align the development priorities of the region with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration.
According to him; “It will further create a broad-based framework for partnerships, investments, and interventions aimed at accelerating economic growth and improving the quality of life of the people”.
The Managing Director of the NCDC stressed that transforming the North Central region cannot be achieved by government alone, and called for strong collaboration among governments at all levels, the private sector, development partners, communities, and other stakeholders.
In his own remarks, Chairman of the Summit Steering Committee, Alhaji Suleiman Baba Ali, said the Commission is working closely with its Technical Partner, Phillips Consulting, to ensure a successful Summit that will produce meaningful outcomes and meet the aspirations of the people of the region.
The statement said that the opening ceremony will hold on Monday, September 14, 2026, adding that the Day two will feature panel discussions, technical sessions, breakout sessions, side meetings, and other strategic engagements designed to deepen conversations around the proposed 20-year development plan.
The Summit is expected to culminate in broad stakeholder consensus and concrete recommendations for the formulation and implementation of a long-term development blueprint.
The Summit is expected to position the North Central region as a major hub for economic growth, infrastructure, investment, innovation, and social development in Nigeria.
The NCDC therefore, invites all stakeholders and development actors across the region and beyond to participate actively in this historic Summit as the North Central region takes a decisive step towards “The Great Leap Forward.”
