Southern Governors and the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council have renewed their push for state policing while announcing new joint security initiatives after a meeting held on Wednesday at the Governor’s Residence in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State.
The meeting brought together Governors from the South-West, South-East and South-South, as well as top security chiefs and traditional rulers.
According to the communiqué issued at the end of the session, the leaders said the gathering was convened to address “matters of urgent regional and national importance,” including security, governance and development cooperation.
The communiqué reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to national unity, saying the group “reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the unity of Nigeria” and to strengthening “a more inclusive, secure, and equitable federation.”
The Forum expressed sympathy over recent security incidents and extended condolences to the President on the deaths of military personnel in Borno and the mass abductions in several northern states. It added that the rescue efforts have reassured citizens that national security “remains a top presidential priority.”
Southern Governors and the Traditional Rulers Council also praised Tinubu’s economic and security reforms. The communiqué stated that the Forum appreciates “bold and visionary leadership in restoring macroeconomic stability,” noting the progress in foreign exchange stability and inflation reduction.
It also described the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme as a transformative agenda, highlighting major projects including the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road and Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway.
On policing, the leaders renewed their long-standing call for decentralised security structures. “The Forum reiterated its longstanding call for the establishment of State Police as a constitutional imperative,” the communiqué read.
They explained that the success of community-based and regional outfits shows “the urgent need for decentralized policing.”
As part of wider security reforms, the Forum approved multiple new regional initiatives. These include the creation of a Zonal Security Fund, with each geo-political zone contributing to a pool that will support joint operations and capacity building. It also adopted an intelligence-sharing framework backed by modern surveillance tools to allow realtime coordination.
The communiqué added that all Southern states “shall jointly invest in equipment that will allow effective communication across state lines.”
The joint session with the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council was described as a step to reinforce the role of monarchs in governance and security.
The communiqué urged all states to formally include traditional rulers in their security councils, noting that these institutions “are closest to the grassroots and hold critical intelligence capacities.”
Other resolutions include adopting unified resident identification systems in collaboration with NIMC, strengthening community-based security outfits, and working with traditional councils to regulate land management and curb illegal mining.
The Forum also encouraged states to provide “direct financial and operational support” to their traditional councils to enhance peacebuilding efforts.
In a unanimous position, the Forum and the Traditional Rulers Council passed a vote of confidence in Tinubu. According to the communiqué, this was done “in recognition of his leadership and unwavering commitment to national stability and reform.”
It recalled the 2021 Asaba Accord and restated support for a Southern President “and in person of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The Forum warned against attempts to stir division in the region, assuring citizens that Southern Nigeria “remains united, indivisible, and committed to peaceful coexistence across religious and cultural lines.”
It pledged to keep working together to advance the interests of the region while strengthening cooperation with the Federal Government for peace, progress and prosperity.
