NORTH CENTRAL LEADERS SET TO DEVELOP 20-YEAR REGIONAL BLUEPRINT

President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and governors from the North Central region are expected to join other political, business and community leaders at a major summit focused on creating a 20-year development blueprint for the region.

The maiden North Central Stakeholders’ Development Summit is scheduled for September 14 and 15, 2026, at the Abuja Continental Hotel in Abuja. The event is being organised by the North Central Development Commission under the theme, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.”

According to a statement by the commission’s Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr Makut Macham, the summit is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including former Heads of State Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar.

The gathering will also involve traditional rulers, government officials, private-sector representatives, technocrats, development partners, academics, civil society organisations, youth and women groups, as well as persons with disabilities. The organisers said the broad representation is intended to ensure that the proposed development agenda reflects the needs and aspirations of different groups across the North Central zone.

Tinubu is expected to attend as the Distinguished Guest of Honour, while Shettima will serve as Special Guest. Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, who chairs the North Central Governors’ Forum, will host the summit alongside the governors of the other North Central states and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Ndatsu Umaru (retd.), a former military governor of Kano and Kwara states, is expected to chair the occasion, while Prof. Iorwuese Hagher will deliver the keynote address. His presentation is expected to focus on the importance of establishing a coordinated and sustainable long-term strategy capable of addressing the region’s development challenges.

Chairman of the North Central Development Commission, Cosmas Akighir, said the summit would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to examine the region’s challenges and available opportunities before agreeing on a common direction for its future.

He explained that the objective was to produce a shared vision and practical framework that could guide sustainable development across the geopolitical zone, with contributions from government, businesses, development organisations, academia and civil society.

The commission’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, said the initiative was also designed to mobilise important stakeholders within and outside the region in support of the commission’s mandate.

He added that the proposed 20-year framework would be aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda while creating opportunities for investment, partnerships and development interventions capable of improving economic growth and living conditions in the region.

The summit’s Steering Committee Chairman, Suleiman Baba Ali, disclosed that the commission was working with Phillips Consulting as its technical partner to ensure the event produces practical outcomes rather than ending with broad declarations.

He said the opening ceremony would take place on September 14, followed by panel discussions, technical sessions, breakout meetings and other engagements the following day. The organisers expect the process to conclude with stakeholder consensus and concrete recommendations that can form the foundation for a long-term development blueprint.

The proposed plan is expected to position the North Central region as a stronger centre for economic activity, infrastructure, investment, innovation and social development, while providing a coordinated approach to addressing its long-term needs.