South-West governors form joint surveillance team to tackle insecurity

Governors of Nigeria’s South-West region have agreed to establish a Joint Surveillance and Monitoring Team to combat insecurity across the area. This was a key resolution reached during the South-West Governors’ Forum meeting held in Lagos on Thursday, February 13. Lagos State Governor and Chairman of the Forum, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, disclosed the decision via his X handle, saying the move was necessary to address emerging security threats. “Recognising emerging security threats, we resolved to establish a Joint Surveillance and Monitoring Team to enhance security coordination across the South-West,” he stated. The governors also expressed confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly regarding the stabilisation of the currency and petroleum supply. “We passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu for the economic stability and improvements recorded across the nation,” Sanwo-Olu said. However, they attributed rising food prices to middlemen in the supply chain and pledged to take action. “We agreed to create a State Food Inflation Joint Monitoring Team and establish Aggregation Centres and Food Hubs to combat food inflation,” they noted. The governors commended the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) introduced by the Federal Government, saying it has significantly benefited students in the region. They encouraged eligible students to utilise the scheme for their education. Additionally, the Forum welcomed the creation of the South West Development Commission (SWDC) and its headquarters in Cocoa House, Ibadan. Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed his confidence in Odu’a Investment Company Limited’s management of regional assets and urged stronger collaboration to boost industrialisation and infrastructure development.