In a bold move to fortify the Southwest region against escalating threats, the South West Governors’ Forum has unveiled the South West Regional Security Fund (SWSF), a dedicated financial mechanism aimed at bolstering joint security operations, intelligence gathering, and rapid response capabilities. The announcement, made following a closed-door emergency meeting on November 24, 2025, at the Oyo State Governor’s Office in Agodi, Ibadan, also includes the approval of a digital intelligence-sharing platform and a resounding renewal of calls for the establishment of state police. Hosted by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the forum—chaired by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu—addressed surging incidents of kidnapping, banditry, illegal mining, and unregulated interstate migration plaguing Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo States.
The governors, in a 10-point communiqué read by Sanwo-Olu, emphasized the fund’s role in reclaiming forests from criminal hideouts and enhancing border surveillance, signaling a unified front against insecurity that has seen recent abductions in neighboring states like Kwara and Niger. They commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for federal efforts in combating insecurity and economic reforms, while expressing solidarity with victims of recent kidnappings and praising swift rescues in those areas.
Key Resolutions from the Ibadan Meeting
- South West Regional Security Fund (SWSF): Domiciled under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the fund will be administered by a Forum of Special Advisers on Security from all six states, convening monthly. It will finance enhanced defense measures, including equipment for Amotekun corps, hunters’ groups, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), with a focus on forest patrols and anti-mining operations.
- Digital Intelligence-Sharing Platform: A real-time system for exchanging threat notifications, incident reports, traveler alerts, and cargo data to enable swift state-to-state coordination and prevent cross-border crimes.
- Renewed Push for State Police: The governors declared, “The time is now. It can no longer be delayed,” urging the National Assembly to expedite constitutional amendments for decentralized policing to address local threats more effectively.
- Forest and Border Security Enhancements: A call on the Federal Government to deploy forest guards, with states providing personnel, to eliminate safe havens for bandits. Stricter biometric checks and collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) were mandated to curb unregulated migration.
- Economic and Social Affirmations: Praise for federal food security initiatives leading to stabilized prices, support for the newly established South West Development Commission (SWDC) to drive regional growth, and a reaffirmation of the zone’s religious tolerance and unity.
Attendees included Governors Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Makinde (Oyo), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), with Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi. The forum also reviewed progress on agriculture, infrastructure, and regional integration under DAWN.
Broader Implications
This initiative builds on ongoing collaborations like Operation Amotekun, launched in 2020, and responds to a spike in incidents, including recent church abductions in Kwara and school kidnappings in Niger. Analysts view the SWSF as a pragmatic step toward fiscal autonomy in security, potentially reducing reliance on federal allocations amid Nigeria’s N98 trillion debt burden. Human rights advocates have welcomed the measures but stressed accountability to avoid overreach in border controls.
The governors reiterated their commitment to a “one, indivisible Southwest,” urging residents to support these efforts through community vigilance. Implementation timelines for the fund and platform are expected within the next quarter, with DAWN set to oversee initial seeding.
