The six governors of Nigeria’s South West region on Monday approved the establishment of a South West Security Platform, a digital intelligence network designed to track real-time traveller and cargo alerts across the region. Okay News reports that the initiative aims to deepen regional security cooperation among Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti States.
The announcement followed the South West Governors’ Forum meeting held on 24 November 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State, where leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening shared security systems.
According to a communiqué issued after the meeting, the South West Security Platform will enable the six states to share threat notifications, incident logs and coordinate rapid response operations. Officials said the platform will bolster early-warning capabilities across regional transport and commercial corridors.
To support the initiative, the Forum approved the creation of a South West Security Fund (SWSF), to be managed under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission. The communiqué said Special Advisers on Security from all six states will administer the fund and meet monthly to review security trends and allocate resources. The fund will directly support the South West Security Platform.
The governors also highlighted rising criminal activity in forest reserves and urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to deploy Forest Guards to reinforce state-level personnel. They noted that reclaiming forest belts has become essential to sustaining the South West Security Platform and broader security operations.
The Forum raised concerns over unregulated interstate migration, describing it as a growing security risk. It resolved to tighten border monitoring, strengthen identification systems and work with the National Identity Management Commission to improve profiling of incoming migrants. These actions will complement the South West Security Platform’s monitoring functions.
Illegal mining was identified as another escalating threat, with governors warning that unlicensed operations pose economic, environmental and security dangers. They called for stronger enforcement mechanisms and strict sanctions against violators who may use mining as a cover for criminal activity. The issue links directly to the intelligence aims of the South West Security Platform.
Reaffirming a long-standing regional position, the governors repeated their support for establishing State Police in Nigeria, stating that decentralised policing is now an urgent reform necessary to maximise the effectiveness of the South West Security Platform.
On the economic front, the governors commended recent progress toward food sufficiency and praised farmers across the South West for improved agricultural output, which they said has helped stabilise prices despite broader national challenges.
