The South West Governors’ Forum, comprising Governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo States, held its meeting on Thursday, February 13, 2025, at the Governor’s Office, Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State. The Forum commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the economic stability and improvements recorded across the nation, particularly in the sustained supply and distribution of petroleum products and the stabilization of the exchange rate.

The Forum urged citizens to continue supporting the President’s efforts to strengthen the economy and improve the overall well-being of Nigerians. They also applauded the Federal Government for the successful implementation of the Student Loan Scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has benefited South West students in tertiary institutions.

In addition, the Forum congratulated Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on his victory in the Ondo State Gubernatorial Election held on November 16, 2024. The Governors commended themselves for maintaining relative peace and security in the region, particularly during the recent festive period.

The Forum strongly condemned the threat posed by ISWAP activities in parts of the South West and encouraged enhanced collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and local security outfits. They also committed to taking necessary actions to counter these threats and established a Joint Surveillance Monitoring Team to oversee and coordinate security efforts across the South West region.

Furthermore, the Forum commended the Federal Government and the Senate for establishing the South West Development Commission (SWDC) and agreed to situate its headquarters at Cocoa House, Ibadan, Oyo State. They acknowledged the efforts of Odu’a Investment Company Ltd. in efficiently managing joint assets of the South West region and commended the company’s proposed investments in other key sectors of the economy.

The Governors expressed concern over food inflation in the region and agreed to establish a State Food Inflation Joint Monitoring Team and Aggregation Centre/Food Hubs to foster inter-state collaboration and mitigate food inflation. They also commended the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission for its improved performance and encouraged it to continue working diligently with South West Commissioners for Agriculture on industrialization and infrastructural development across the region.