Veritas University, Abuja, will host an international conference on sustainable development in February 2026, positioning the institution as a key platform for global academic and policy engagement on Africa’s development challenges.

The conference, titled “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: People, Environment, and Institutions,”is scheduled to hold on February 3, 2026, at the university’s campus. It is being convened by Professor Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, OSA, Provost of the School of Postgraduate Studies and Director of Research at Veritas University.

Organisers said the event is expected to attract scholars, researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners from more than 100 universities and institutions worldwide. Participants are anticipated from leading academic and policy organisations, including Harvard University, the University of Oklahoma, Comillas Universidad Pontificia in Spain, Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, Universitas Cardinalis Stephen Wyszynski in Poland, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Portsmouth, Albany State University, the Kukah Foundation, the Joy Akuwkwesi Chinegwu Foundation, and Alternative Perspectives and Alternative Concerns in Canada, among others.

According to the organisers, the conference is anchored on the understanding that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a transformative global framework that requires collaboration among universities, governments, the private sector, civil society, and individuals. In Africa, they noted, the pursuit of the SDGs demands research-driven, context-sensitive, and institutionally grounded solutions that respond to the continent’s unique development realities.

Veritas University said the conference aligns with its institutional values of truth, integrity, service, and excellence, and reflects its commitment to research, innovation, and policy engagement. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku, has consistently emphasised the university’s role in generating knowledge and ideas that contribute to inclusive growth, social justice, environmental sustainability, and the promotion of human dignity.

The conference programme is expected to feature keynote lectures, panel discussions, and scholarly presentations aimed at fostering critical reflection and evidence-based dialogue on Africa’s development pathways. Organisers said the discussions will focus on translating theory into practice and producing actionable recommendations that can inform sustainable development policies at local, national, and global levels.

With its broad international participation and focus on the SDGs, the 2026 Veritas University conference is expected to make a significant contribution to global development discourse while reinforcing the university’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence in research and policy-oriented scholarship.