North Central Development Commission (NCDC) will convene its maiden North Central Stakeholders’ Development Summit from 14th to 15th September 2026 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja (formerly Sheraton Hotel).
The two-day Summit, which begins daily at 10:00 a.m., is themed: “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.”
It will bring together 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.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is expected to grace the occasion as Distinguished Guest of Honour. Vice President Kashim Shettima, will serve as Special Guest.
The Summit will also be honoured by the presence of former Heads of State and illustrious sons of the region: General Yakubu Gowon, GCFR; General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR; and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, GCFR, who are expected to attend as Fathers of the Day.
Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Ndatsu Umaru (rtd.), former Military Governor of Kano and Kwara States, will serve as Chairman of the Occasion. His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, will be the Chief Host. He 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. He 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, Barr. Cosmas Akighir, Ph.D., 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.
According to him, 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.
The Managing Director/CEO of the NCDC, Dr. Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, stated that 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.
Dr. Tsenyil explained 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. 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.
He 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.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Summit Steering Committee, Alhaji Suleiman Baba Ali, disclosed that 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 opening ceremony will hold on Monday, 14th September 2026. 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. This will position the North Central region as a major hub for economic growth, infrastructure, investment, innovation, and social development in Nigeria.
The Commission, therefore, called on 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.”
