President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, and governors from the North-Central states are expected to join other stakeholders at a two-day summit scheduled for September 14 and 15, 2026, where participants will develop a 20-year roadmap for the region’s economic, infrastructural, and social development.
Former Heads of State, including retired Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, are also expected to attend the event.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued to journalists in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Friday by the Head of Media and Corporate Communications of the North Central Development Commission, Dr Makut Macham.
Macham said the Abuja-based event would be the inaugural North Central Stakeholders’ Development Summit and would run for two days.
According to him, the summit is themed, ‘The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North-Central Region.’
He explained that the gathering would attract prominent political leaders, government agencies, traditional institutions, technocrats, private sector representatives, youth and women organisations, persons with disabilities, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss and develop a broad development blueprint for the region.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Chairman of the NCDC, Dr Cosmas Akighir, said the summit would offer stakeholders an important opportunity to jointly assess the region’s development challenges and prospects while setting a fresh direction for its overall transformation.
He added that participants from government, the private sector, development organisations, academia, and civil society would work together to establish a common vision and practical framework for the sustainable growth of the North-Central geopolitical zone.
Similarly, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, Dr Cyril Tsenyil, said the summit was intentionally organised to mobilise strategic stakeholders within and outside the region towards fulfilling the commission’s mandate.
Tsenyil noted that the gathering would help harmonise the region’s development objectives with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Tinubu administration.
He further stated that the summit would establish an inclusive framework for partnerships, investments, and interventions designed to boost economic development and enhance the living conditions of people in the region.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Summit Steering Committee, Suleiman Ali, revealed that the commission was collaborating closely with its Technical Partner, Phillips Consulting, to ensure the success of the summit and deliver impactful results that reflect the expectations and aspirations of the people of the North-Central region.