The Southwest Development Commission (SWDC) has secured the backing of the region’s governors for a coordinated approach to security, development, and economic integration across the six Southwest states.
Dr. Charles Akinola, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, disclosed this after a high-level meeting with the governors and key stakeholders.
According to Akinola, the meeting focused on strengthening regional responses to insecurity and on defining areas of development work that can be handled more effectively collectively, rather than by individual states.
He said: “The Southwest Development Commission was here to engage with very critical stakeholders, the governors, who are also the advisory committee members, regarding the establishment of the commission, its mandates, and the fact that we are here to work together with the governors. Not in ways that conflict, but in ways that integrate and play an integral role in the region.
“In other words, we are talking about those areas of development best positioned to be handled by a platform like ours so that we begin to see the region as one economic bloc and not merely six individual states. That was very useful indeed.
“It is clear that there will be greater joint efforts in implementing some of the measures put in place, including using technology in a more enhanced manner”.
He said the governors reiterated their support for the SWDC, the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, and the Odu’a Group, pledging cooperation to accelerate regional growth.
“The meeting was very successful. It allowed us to explore how the Southwest can operate as a single economic bloc, integrating development efforts across states rather than functioning in isolation.
“Another outcome was the governors’ reaffirmation of their support for the Southwest Development Commission, the DAWN Commission, and the Odu’a Group. So by and large, it was a very successful meeting, and we look forward to implementing some of the critical decisions taken today”, Akinola said.
The meeting also addressed security coordination, highlighting the need for enhanced collaboration among Amotekun, Lagos-based agencies such as LASEMA, and the Neighbourhood Watch.
Akinola emphasised that security is a collective responsibility and that intelligence sharing at multiple levels would be intensified.
He said, “We also discussed how Amotekun and other security systems in the region, including those in Lagos such as LASEMA and the Neighbourhood Watch, will all work together. There will be much more coordination this time.
“And importantly, security is everybody’s responsibility. The idea of having intelligence at different levels also came up during the conversations”.
The commission outlined plans to leverage technology more effectively in regional development and security operations.
“We discussed using technology in a more enhanced manner, ensuring that development initiatives are data-driven and coordinated across the region,” he added.
