Abuja: The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) on Thursday revealed its intentions to host a national summit focusing on elite consensus in the first quarter of 2026. The announcement was made during the public presentation of the National Survey Report and Commissioned Papers on Elite Consensus Development in Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Director-General, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, emphasized the significance of the upcoming summit, which aims to provide an avenue for elites to engage in dialogue on issues pertinent to national development. Sulaiman highlighted the elite consensus project as a strategic initiative to align influential stakeholders around essential reforms necessary for Nigeria’s progress.
He detailed that this event marks NILDS’ third major stakeholders’ engagement aimed at catalyzing elite consensus, in line with the institute’s mandate in research, capacity building, and national development. The project commenced with a methodology workshop in March 2024, which gathered academics, civil society actors, and practitioners to develop credible methods for elite opinion gathering.
Sulaiman noted that the recommendations from the workshop led to a nationwide survey conducted across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, validated in a subsequent workshop in August. The findings from this validation process were incorporated into the final report, released alongside commissioned papers that address critical national governance challenges.
The director-general expressed gratitude to stakeholders, scholars, and participants for their contributions. He acknowledged that despite funding challenges, national development requires sacrifice and called for continued support to maintain the project’s momentum. He praised the project committee chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for his dedication in delivering the report and commissioned studies.
Prof. Jega, serving as NILDS’s consultant on the elite consensus projects, shared that the committee began its work in February 2024 with the aim to foster dialogue, research, advocacy, and consensus among elites. He outlined the committee’s objectives, which included organizing inclusive dialogues, producing research, promoting public advocacy, and laying the groundwork for a national summit on consensus.
Jega added that the committee achieved most of its targets by refining survey methodologies through stakeholder workshops involving diverse professionals. He noted that academics from universities nationwide coordinated the administration of questionnaires to sampled elites across various sectors.
In a goodwill message, Mr. Ibrahim Olarewaju, Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on National Assembly, encouraged translating the findings into constitutional and legal reforms, pledging government support for NILDS’ project.
Prof. Adeniji Adeyinka and Prof. Shola Omotola, both from departments of political science at Nigerian universities, reviewed the report, emphasizing its importance to enhancing democratic governance and institutional accountability in Nigeria.
The event’s highlight was the official public presentation of the survey report and commissioned papers on NILDS’ elite consensus in Nigeria.