In a powerful display of regional solidarity rarely seen in Nigeria’s recent political history, Governors from the South-West, South-East, and South-South geopolitical zones convened on Wednesday at the private residence of Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State. The high-level closed-door meeting, described by participants as “frank, productive and forward-looking,” marked a significant escalation in the Southern governors’ long-standing campaign for greater fiscal and security autonomy, with the establishment of State Police now declared an absolute imperative.
The gathering, which lasted several hours, brought together serving governors and representatives from all 17 states across the three southern zones. Though the exact list of attendees was not officially released, sources confirmed the presence of heavyweights including Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Chukwuma Soludo (Anambra), Alex Otti (Abia), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Senator Douye Diri (Bayelsa), and several others either in person or through high-powered delegations.
Opening the session, host Governor Dapo Abiodun set an unmistakably conciliatory yet assertive tone toward the federal government. He lavished praise on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the administration’s economic reforms as “courageous and transformative.” He specifically highlighted the removal of the petrol subsidy, the unification and relative stabilisation of the exchange rate, the return of steady petroleum product supply across the country, and the introduction of greater fiscal discipline as cornerstone achievements of the Renewed Hope agenda that have begun to yield tangible results for ordinary Nigerians.
Abiodun singled out President Tinubu’s personal intervention in the recent abduction of schoolchildren in the North-West — where the President reportedly stayed awake for nights coordinating security agencies until every child was rescued — as evidence of “rare, hands-on leadership and an uncommon passion for the sanctity of every Nigerian life, regardless of region or ethnicity.”
The Ogun Governor also acknowledged massive federal infrastructure push in the South, citing the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the planned Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway as game-changing projects that will boost intra- and inter-regional trade. He thanked the President for the substantial fiscal bailouts and increased statutory allocations that have enabled states to clear pension and salary backlogs, complete abandoned projects, and embark on new ones.
Yet, beneath the commendations lay a firm message: goodwill from the centre must be matched by structural reforms that empower subnational governments to secure and develop their people. Chief among these, Governor Abiodun declared, is the immediate establishment of State Police.
“Recent events across the country have made one thing abundantly clear,” he stated. “The current highly centralised policing architecture is simply inadequate to meet the complexity and spread of modern security threats. From schools being attacked, to farmers unable to access their lands, to highways turning into death traps, to porous borders and vandalised critical national assets — the evidence is overwhelming. State Police is no longer a political talking point; it is a non-negotiable requirement for true federalism and effective grassroots protection.”
The Southern governors resolved to harmonise their voices and present a common position to the National Economic Council, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and the National Assembly to fast-track the constitutional amendment process required for state policing.
Beyond advocacy, the governors unveiled an ambitious, home-grown Southern Regional Security Framework designed to deliver immediate impact even while constitutional hurdles are being cleared. Key components of the framework include:
- The immediate development of a secure, real-time digital intelligence-sharing platform that will link the security operations centres of all 17 southern states, enabling rapid exchange of tactical information on banditry, kidnapping, cultism, oil theft, and other trans-state crimes.
- A coordinated Southern Safe School Initiative that will see joint funding and deployment of technology-driven perimeter security, armed guards where necessary, and community early-warning systems around schools.
- Regular joint security audits of all major inter-state highways, rail corridors, and maritime waterways in the region, with identified black spots receiving immediate fortified checkpoints and aerial surveillance.
- Formal integration of community policing structures with the traditional institution. The governors agreed that Obi, Eze, Oba, and other recognised traditional rulers — as the closest tier of authority to the grassroots — must be empowered, funded, and incorporated into intelligence gathering and conflict resolution mechanisms.
- Establishment of a Southern Regional Rapid Response and Victims Support Fund, seeded with initial contributions from the participating states and open to grants from development partners, to provide swift financial and logistical support during major security emergencies.
Perhaps the most emotionally resonant aspect of the security discussion was the governors’ unanimous recognition that traditional rulers remain the most trusted and enduring institution at the grassroots level. “Our royal fathers are not just custodians of culture,” Governor Abiodun emphasised. “In many communities, they are the only government that people see and believe in. Any security architecture that sidelines them is doomed to fail.”
The conversation then shifted seamlessly to economic integration — an area the governors believe holds the key to making the South less dependent on unstable federal allocations. Describing the region as “Nigeria’s undisputed economic powerhouse,” they pointed to its vast natural resource endowment: over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s crude oil and gas, the largest bitumen deposits in the world, massive limestone reserves, gold, lithium, and some of the most fertile agricultural land on the continent.
- The governors lamented that, despite these blessings, value-chain development remains fragmented, leading to capital flight and youth unemployment. To reverse the trend, they announced plans for a Southern Economic Development Community built around five strategic pillars:
- A region-wide multimodal connectivity masterplan that will prioritise road, rail, and inland waterway links between state capitals, industrial clusters, seaports, airports, and agricultural zones. The goal is to cut logistics costs by at least 40 per cent within a decade.
- Joint investment promotion drives targeting agro-processing, solid minerals beneficiation, blue economy projects, and renewable energy, with states agreeing to harmonise incentives and remove inter-state bottlenecks.
- Creation of a Southern Centre for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship — a world-class hub that will train hundreds of thousands of young southerners annually in coding, artificial intelligence, agritech, fintech, and advanced manufacturing.
- Revival of regional commodity boards (cocoa, oil palm, rubber, cassava, etc.) under public-private partnership models to stabilise prices for farmers and attract large-scale off-takers.
- Establishment of a Southern Development Fund financed through a small percentage of internally generated revenue from member states, diaspora bonds, and multilateral agencies.
As the meeting ended late in the evening, Governor Abiodun told journalists that the Southern governors had crossed a “point of no return.” “We are not asking for favours,” he declared. “We are demanding our constitutional rights and taking practical steps to secure and develop our people. The South is ready to lead Nigeria into a new era of competitive, cooperative federalism.”
While no formal communiqué was issued immediately — reportedly to allow for fine-tuning — insiders say the governors have scheduled quarterly meetings, with the next one slated for Enugu in early 2026. For a country long divided along regional and partisan lines, Wednesday’s summit in quiet Iperu-Remo may well be remembered as the moment the Nigerian South decided to write a new chapter — together.
