17TH ANNUAL TOWN HALL MEETING
The LSSTF 17th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security with the Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, took place on the 12th December 2023 at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos with the theme “SECURITY COMPLEXITIES AND CONVERGENCE: THE LAGOS STATE IMPERATIVES”.
Security remains top on the list of the Lagos State Government agenda, as it understands that without a safe and secure society, residents of Lagos cannot thrive in any endeavor. Just like most other populous cities, Lagos is equally faced with security challenges such as armed robbery, kidnapping, public disorder, street crime and extortion, highway robberies, piracy, and so on that have become even more complex since the emergence of technologies and AIs, etc.
This year the Fund focused on the Complexities and Security Convergence and how we as a State can build on capacity and come up with strategies to mitigate security challenges particularly in Lagos State.
Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, the Chairman Board of Trustees LSSTF in his welcome address stated that “since the inception of the Fund till date, we have received encouragement from the public on the effectiveness of the Fund however there is need for more resource support from the public to combat the ever-growing security threats in the country as they affect Lagos State.”
Giving the report of the activities of the Fund in the year under review (December 2022-December 2023), the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Fund, Dr. Abdurrazaq Balogun noted, “We require the combination of several strategies to combat security in Nigeria, particularly for us in Lagos State. Policymakers and security professionals must possess the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to understand the interconnected nature of security challenges and develop effective responses.”
While emphasizing that if not for the Fund and its activities, the security situation in the state would have been regrettable. This is why we continue to thank our donors as their partnership is far-reaching and critical to the success of the activities of all. However, this year has been dismal with just about 35 donors out of the thousands of companies and millions of individuals in Lagos State, Dr. Balogun said.
The external auditors to the Fund, Ernst and Young, gave their assessment of the Fund’s 2022 audit report, while the Acting Commissioner of Police, Lagos Police Command, DCP Waheed Ayilara, shared insights into the Command’s activities.
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the 17th Annual Town Hall Meeting stated in his remarks that “Our security approach has improved safety”. Also, he noted that the state will deliver 300 patrol vehicles to police and other security agencies.
Governor Sanwo-Olu related the improvement of security in the state to the continuous review of the state’s security architecture and the consistent surveillance put in place to nip organized crime in the bud.