South-West governors approve regional security fund, launch intelligence-sharing platform
Governors of the six south-west states have agreed to establish a South-West Security Fund (SWSF) as part of new measures to confront rising security threats in the region.
The decision was reached on Monday during a meeting of the South-West Governors’ Forum in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. The gathering focused on agriculture, economic development, and the growing insecurity affecting the region.
Reading the communiqué, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos and chairman of the forum, said the new security fund will be domiciled under the DAWN Commission and administered by the security advisers of all six states.
He also announced that the governors have approved the creation of a joint intelligence-sharing and communication system designed to improve regional coordination.
“The forum resolves to establish a live, digital intelligence-sharing platform among all six south-west states — Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“This platform will exchange threat notifications, incident logs, traveller and cargo alerts, and coordinate state-to-state rapid response.”
The governors urged the federal government to intensify surveillance in forest areas across the region, noting that many of the forests have become hideouts for criminals.
They called for federal support to deploy forest guards in each state, with state governments providing manpower. “The governors reaffirm their collective commitment to reclaiming the forests and ensuring these spaces no longer serve as safe corridors for banditry, kidnapping, or any form of criminal activity,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The forum also expressed solidarity with the federal government following recent mass abductions in Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states. It warned that unregulated interstate migration continues to pose a major security challenge across the south-west.
“The forum agrees to intensify security collaboration to ensure that interstate migration does not become a conduit for insecurity,” the communiqué said.
The governors reiterated their support for the establishment of state police, stressing that “the time is now” and the issue can no longer be delayed.
Those present at the meeting included Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, and Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti. Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, was represented by his deputy, Kola Adeusi.
