The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has organised a three-day capacity-building workshop for its staff drawn from the six North-East states to strengthen institutional excellence and improve service delivery across the region.
The workshop, tagged: _“NEDC Excellence Forum 2026,”_ was held from September 14 to 16, 2026. It brought together staff from the Commission’s headquarters and state offices in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
Declaring the forum open, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEDC, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali, said the programme was designed to strengthen the Commission’s systems, workforce and operational processes to support effective delivery of its mandate.
He explained that the forum was an opportunity for participants to examine how quality, accountability, integrity and improved service delivery could be better reflected in the Commission’s daily activities.
Alkali said the workshop followed the Commission’s recent certification in five International Organization for Standardization (ISO) management system standards covering Quality Management, Environmental Management, Occupational Health and Safety, Anti-Bribery Management and Sustainable Development in Communities.
“For the Commission, the focus is now on what comes after certification. The value of the standards will ultimately be determined by how they improve the Commission’s work and its service to the people of the North-East.
“Our ISO certifications established important standards, but the real work is ensuring that those standards are reflected in how we work, how we serve and how we deliver,” Alkali said.
The NEDC boss stressed that the 2026 Excellence Forum was focused on translating the standards into practical actions. He said participants would take part in practical exercises, simulations and workplace scenarios aimed at improving collaboration, problem-solving and service delivery.
According to him, the Commission’s success in delivering roads, schools, healthcare facilities, water projects and livelihood programmes depends not only on physical infrastructure but also on strong institutions, skilled personnel and effective internal systems.
He added that the forum was designed to make the ISO standards part of the Commission’s organisational culture rather than simply meeting certification requirements.
Alkali said the ultimate goal was to build a stronger and more service-oriented NEDC capable of delivering better development outcomes for the people of the North-East.
In her welcome address, the Acting Head of the Governance, Compliance and Service Reform Unit, Hajiya Fatuma Dalhatu, said the training would improve staff capacity and reaffirm the Commission’s commitment to institutional excellence.
Some participants, including Muhammed Aliyu Kaigama from Bauchi State and Blessing John from Taraba State, praised the initiative, saying the workshop would strengthen their knowledge, enhance teamwork and improve staff performance.
The forum was organised to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to build a high-performing institution that can effectively support sustainable development across the North-East region.
