NCDC Unveils 20-Year Development Roadmap to Transform North Central into Economic Powerhouse
By Pan Afric Reporters
The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has unveiled an ambitious 20-year development roadmap aimed at transforming the region into a more productive, connected, inclusive, secure, resilient and digitally enabled economic zone by 2046.
The roadmap formed the centrepiece of the NCDC Road Map and Stakeholders’ Development Summit, held in Abuja from September 14 to 15, 2026, under the theme, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.” The communiqué was presented by Prof. Mohammed B. Nuhu and adopted by participants at the close of the summit.
The NCDC said the proposed North Central 20-Year Development Plan 2027–2046 was designed to provide an integrated pathway for Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau states as well as the Federal Capital Territory, with emphasis on economic growth, infrastructure, human capital, security, climate resilience and digital transformation.
Declaring the summit an important starting point for the region’s long-term transformation, the Commission’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, said the process was intended to be “inclusive, evidence-led and implementation-focused.” The summit attracted 862 physical and 49 online participants, including government officials, governors, lawmakers, traditional and religious leaders, development partners, private-sector players, academics, civil society groups, youths, women and the media.
The summit identified agriculture, minerals, energy, water, human capital and the region’s strategic location as major economic assets, but noted that these resources had not translated sufficiently into productivity, industrial capacity, incomes and improved social outcomes. It therefore recommended state-specific agricultural and livestock value chains, mineral-processing and manufacturing clusters, stronger MSMEs, improved investment incentives and a GIS-enabled regional economic database.
On infrastructure, participants called for an integrated regional network of roads, rail, inland waterways and logistics systems, with urgent attention to strategic corridors including the Abuja–Lokoja Road. The communiqué also proposed regional energy and water programmes, while stressing that “security is productive infrastructure,” noting that agriculture, trade, investment, education and community life cannot flourish where people, assets and transport corridors remain unsafe.
The NCDC summit further resolved to establish coordinated regional frameworks for security, climate resilience and digital development, including broadband expansion, AI and digital-skills centres, innovation financing and technology-enabled intelligence systems. It also called for durable legal backing, a Programme Management Office within the NCDC, diversified financing through public resources, PPPs, development finance, capital markets and climate finance, as well as annual and periodic performance reviews to ensure that the 20-year vision translates into measurable improvements in jobs, infrastructure, livelihoods and public services.
