NCDC to Unveil 20-Year Devt Blueprint for North-Central Region

The North Central Development Commission will convene its first regional stakeholders’ summit in Abuja in September 2026, with a proposed 20-year blueprint at the center of discussions.

The two-day meeting, scheduled for Sept. 14-15 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, formerly the Sheraton Hotel, is themed “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.” The event will bring together political leaders, government institutions, traditional rulers, technocrats, private-sector representatives, youth and women’s groups, persons with disabilities, development partners and other stakeholders.

NCDC Chairman Cosmas Akighir said the summit would offer a strategic platform to examine the challenges and opportunities facing the region and chart a new course for its transformation. He 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.”

The commission’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, said the summit was designed to bring together strategic actors from the North Central region and beyond and help fulfill the commission’s mandate. He added that it would align the region’s development priorities with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, while creating a broad framework for partnerships, investments and interventions intended to accelerate economic growth and improve living standards.

Alhaji Suleiman Baba Ali, chairman of the summit’s steering committee, said the commission was working with its technical partner, Phillips Consulting, to deliver a successful meeting and meaningful outcomes for the region. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, 2026.

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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.