‘THE NCDC STAKEHOLDERS SUMMIT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION’ – PROF GBENGA IBILEYE, VC FEDERAL UNIVERSITY, LOKOJA
By Austin Asadu
And George Martins | Pan Afric Reporters
The two day North Central Stakeholders Summit organized by the North Central Development Commission at Abuja Continental Hotel and Suites, Maitama, FCT on the 14-15th of September 2026 has been described as a positive step in the right direction by no less an authority than Professor Gbenga lbileye, eminent Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State.
In an exclusive chat with newsmen at the summit venue, the appreciative Prof. Ibileye stated that: ‘it is indeed a forward looking summit by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) which was established not quite long ago as an interventionist agency for the North Central region comprising the six states of Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the FCT.
“I believe it is commendable that the NCDC was able to gather experts from various fields at this summit who would help it develop a road map for the next 20 years in terms of its governance structure, it’s operational structure, its modus operandi and its recruitment activities.
“So over the last 24 hours, these resource persons have been brainstorming and discussing on the way forward for the Commission and l 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.
“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”.
The erudite university don also called for the Commission to be manned by seasoned technocrats, professionals and experts in relevant fields so that it can make the desired impact:
‘The NCDC has to operate as a professional establishment, it has to ensure that its activities be driven by technocats, 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’.
And l believe that it is not the conception of Mr President that the NCDC be under the influence of political considerations’.
Rather it is meant to be an interventionist agency which provides support for the activities of the respective state governors’.
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.”- a perceptive Prof Gbenga lbileye concluded.
The two day summit was well attended by seasoned technocrats, administrators, professionals, the academia, policy apparatchiks, political leaders, the organized civil society, students and the mass media.
Among the dignitaries present were the Chairman of the NCDC Governing Board, Barr. Cosmas Akighir; Managing Director, Dr. Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil;
All Progressive Chairman, Niger State,
Hon Haliru Jikantoro; former Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; VC, Federal University Lokoja, Prof Gbenga Ibileye; Hon ldris Salman; Executive Directors of the Commission including Hajia Biliquis Jumoke Sanni, Aisha Rufai Ibrahim, James Abel Uloko, Prof. Muhammad Bashar, Princess Atika Ajanah amongst other distinguished personalities who graced the august occasion.
