Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The 2026 INT International STEP Delegate Leadership Summit earlier scheduled for October 26 to 30 in Abuja has been rescheduled for November 2 to 6 to avoid a clash with the World Investment Forum convened by the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The organisers said the one-week adjustment became necessary because a significant number of speakers, facilitators, resource persons and institutional partners expected at the summit are also scheduled to participate in the World Investment Forum.
The summit is being organised by the Institute for National Transformation International (INT International) and will take place at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
In a statement signed by the Director General and Convener of INT International, Prof. Vincent C. Anigbogu, and the Director of Sponsorship and Marketing, Mr. Anthony Bugembe, the organisers said retaining the original date could have affected the participation of key contributors.
They said the decision was taken after it became clear that the overlapping engagements would make it difficult for some of the expected participants to attend the Abuja summit.
“The STEP Delegate Summit is a working summit, not a ceremonial gathering. Its outcomes depend directly on the quality of the experts, mentors and institutions in the room,” the organisers said.
They expressed regret over the change, particularly to international stakeholders, invited guests and delegates who had already made arrangements around the original October dates.
The organisers, however, said the change affected only the dates, adding that other aspects of the summit would remain unchanged.
The five-day meeting is expected to include plenary sessions, clinics and project development sessions, after which participants will undergo a 10-month mentorship programme.
The mentorship programme is intended to support participants in developing projects from the idea stage towards funding and implementation.
The organisers said the summit would focus on translating major continental, international and national development frameworks into specific programmes and projects.
Among the frameworks to be considered are the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the African Development Bank’s High 5s and national development plans.
The summit is also expected to focus on science, technology and innovation-driven projects and their potential for development financing and implementation.
The organisers said the decision to move the summit was intended to avoid a situation in which competing international engagements would reduce the participation of experts and institutions considered important to the programme.
The World Investment Forum, which is convened by UNCTAD, brings together governments, investors and other stakeholders to discuss investment and development issues.
With the revised dates, the INT International summit will now hold from Monday, November 2, to Friday, November 6, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.