The Humanitarian Times

By Abdulkareem Haruna

MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA – In what marks another major milestone in its aggressive post-insurgency diplomacy and economic rebranding, the Borno State Government has officially secured the hosting rights for the 2026 Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) International Engineering Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The event, scheduled for December 2026 in Maiduguri, is projected to draw an unprecedented 10,000 delegates from across the globe. For a state that spent over a decade battling the Boko Haram insurgency, the choice of Maiduguri as the host city is being viewed by stakeholders as a massive vote of confidence in the state’s stabilizing security architecture.

The official hosting rights were handed over to the state governor, Babagana Zulum, on Tuesday night by the NSE President, Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, during a dinner hosted by the Borno State government for the visiting NSE leadership at the Government House, Maiduguri.

The forthcoming conference, themed “Engineering Innovations for Enhanced Security and Sustainable National Development,” is the latest in a series of similar high-profile national and international summits that the government of  Professor Zulum has aggressively and deliberately hosted to obliterate the persistent negative narrative of Borno as an active war zone.
During an earlier courtesy visit by the NSE delegation, Governor Zulum rebuffed the  lingering skepticism regarding the state’s safety. He referenced a track record of major national gatherings hosted by the state over the past year as proof of readiness.

“I want to bring to your attention that in 2025, Maiduguri hosted a lot of national and international events such as the 6th National Council on Power, the 70th National Council on Education, the Kanem-Borno Cultural Summit, the 40th National Qur’anic Recitation Competition, and the 65th National Council on Health, among others,” the governor argued, pitching the state’s traditional hospitality as a core asset.

Despite the optimism, hosting 10,000 delegates remains a logistical and security litmus test for the state. To validate the government’s safety assurances, the NSE leadership revealed that it is not taking any chances.
Engr. Rabiu disclosed that the powerful NSE Council will descend on Maiduguri in July for a mid-term meeting. This visit will serve as a firsthand assessment of the state’s infrastructure and security readiness before the main influx of delegates in December.
“The Council has resolved to hold its meeting in Maiduguri this July to assess firsthand the level of readiness for the conference and to evaluate the security environment,” Rabiu stated.
However, the NSE President quickly added that his personal experiences in the state have been overwhelmingly positive, neutralizing internal opposition within the council regarding the choice of venue. “The events and engagements we have held in Maiduguri have been conducted successfully without any security incidents,” he noted.

Beyond the hosting rights, the event served as a celebration of local patronage. The NSE announced the conferment of its Honorary Fellowship on Dr. Muhammadu Indimi, a foremost billionaire philanthropist and Borno elder statesman.
Governor Zulum seized the moment to laud Indimi, stating that the oil mogul’s multi-billion naira interventions in Nigeria’s educational and infrastructural sectors made the recognition “long overdue.”