NCDC Summit: Commission Must Be Driven by Experts, Not Politics — FUL VC
By Austin Asadu and George Martins| Pan Afric Reporters
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, Prof. Gbenga Ibileye, has described the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Stakeholders’ Summit as a positive step towards developing a long-term roadmap for the region’s coordinated development.
Ibileye stated this in an exclusive interview with newsmen at the two-day North Central Stakeholders’ Summit organised by the NCDC at the Abuja Continental Hotel and Suites, Maitama, Abuja, from September 14 to 15, 2026.
The Vice Chancellor commended the Commission for bringing together experts from diverse fields to deliberate on its governance structure, operations, recruitment and long-term development strategy.
“It is indeed a forward-looking summit by the North Central Development Commission,” Ibileye said, describing the gathering of professionals and experts as a “commendable” initiative capable of helping the Commission develop a roadmap for the next 20 years.
According to him, the summit provides an opportunity for the Commission to determine what needs to be done in a manner that reflects the aspirations and realities of the people, rather than imposing interventions from the top.
“I personally think that it is the right way to go because the NCDC gets to know what needs to be done so that it does not do a top-to-bottom intervention,” he said.
Ibileye advocated a bottom-up approach to development, arguing that greater involvement of communities and stakeholders would promote ownership and encourage people across the region to support and participate in the Commission’s programmes.
“Rather, the Commission should adopt a bottom-up approach to its activities, which would make ownership by the people much more easier and they would buy into the policies of the NCDC and ensure its success in every ramification,” he said.
The university don also called for the Commission to be managed by seasoned technocrats, professionals and experts in relevant fields, stressing that its effectiveness would depend significantly on the quality and professionalism of its personnel.
“The NCDC has to operate as a professional establishment. It has to ensure that its activities be driven by technocrats, by experts, by professionals and not by politicians because if you surrender the NCDC to politics, then of course its activities will be hijacked and it becomes a jamboree,” Ibileye said.
He added that the Commission was established as an interventionist agency to support development efforts in the North Central region and should therefore remain focused on that mandate.
Ibileye further urged governors in the region to regard the NCDC as a complementary institution rather than a competitor or an agency seeking to usurp their constitutional responsibilities.
“I also believe that the state governors should see the Commission not as an usurper of their roles but rather as a complementary agency to assist them in their activities as executive governors of their respective states,” he said.
The summit brought together technocrats, administrators, professionals, academics, policy experts, political leaders, civil society representatives, students and members of the media to deliberate on the development priorities of the North Central region.
The event was attended by the Chairman of the NCDC Governing Board, Barrister Cosmas Akighir; Managing Director, Dr Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil; Niger State APC Chairman, Hon. Haliru Jikantoro; former Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; Hon. Idris Salman; and members of the Commission’s executive management, including Hajia Biliquis Jumoke Sanni, Aisha Rufai Ibrahim, James Abel Uloko, Prof. Muhammad Bashar and Princess Atika Ajanah, among other distinguished participants.
