South-West Governors Unveil New Regional Security Plan
South-West Governors on Monday, November 24, 2025, announced a far-reaching regional security and development strategy following an emergency meeting held in Ibadan, Oyo State, amid growing concerns over rising criminal activities across the zone.
The closed-door session, hosted by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office in Agodi, brought together the Governor’s of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti, Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, Dapo Abiodun, Ademola Adeleke, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Biodun Oyebanji, who all pledged a renewed commitment to collective action.
At the end of the meeting, the Governors revealed that they had agreed to immediately strengthen the Amotekun security network across all six States. This includes recruiting additional personnel, deploying more patrol vehicles, improving communication infrastructure and enhancing intelligence-sharing channels. They also disclosed plans for more coordinated joint border patrols to combat kidnappers, bandits and cross-border criminal gangs that continue to exploit gaps between States.
A major highlight of the meeting was the approval of a new South-West Security Stabilisation Fund, designed to ensure sustained financing for joint security operations. According to the communiqué issued after the meeting, each state will contribute a specific percentage of its annual budget to the fund, which will support training, logistics, rapid response systems and the acquisition of modern surveillance equipment.
The Governors further resolved to address infrastructural weaknesses that have made several communities vulnerable to attacks. They agreed to prioritise repairs on key Inter-State roads, expand rural electrification in border towns and install solar streetlights and communication masts in Areas identified as hotspots. They argued that no security plan would succeed without complementary development infrastructure.
In a renewed mandate to the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the Governors directed the Body to produce a harmonised regional security and development framework within 60 days. The Commission is expected to drive coordinated projects, monitor implementation timelines and promote the introduction of modern security technologies, including drone monitoring and early-warning systems.
The communiqué also emphasized stronger engagement with traditional rulers, vigilante groups and local hunters, whom the governors described as essential partners in grassroots intelligence gathering. They announced plans to create a uniform regulatory framework for community security groups across the region in order to strengthen collaboration while preventing abuses.
Beyond security, the Governors acknowledged that rising unemployment continues to push many youths toward criminal networks. To address this, the States will jointly launch new empowerment schemes, revive technical education institutions, expand agricultural programmes and support small businesses, especially in border communities frequently targeted by criminals.
Governor Makinde, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, described the resolutions as “a decisive turning point for the South-West,” stressing that the region can no longer afford isolated responses to shared threats. He said the unified strategy marks a new era of cooperation that places the safety and welfare of citizens above political differences.
The Governors announced that they will reconvene in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in February 2026 to review the progress of the agreed measures and assess their impact on the security landscape of the region.
