Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has hinted that the year 2024 will kick off with new security measures, pledging that his administration will be raising the fleet of patrol vehicles for security agencies by 300 units.

Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, 12th December 2023, made this pledge at the 17th Town Hall Meeting on security organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), where stakeholders in the security sector, citizens and private sector donors met to evaluate issues relating to safety in Lagos between October 2022 and September 2023.

The Governor also hinted that this will be done in collaboration with local government authorities to address critical needs of security.

“To address critical needs, the State Government, in collaboration with local authorities, will provide 300 patrol vehicles through the LSSTF at the beginning of next year. We have repositioned the neighbourhood safety agency to gather actionable intelligence to support security responses,” Sanwo-Olu said.

On his part, the Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer at the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), DR. Abdurrazaq Balogun advocated approaching security from a multifaceted point of view as modern studies have shown that one approach alone cannot effectively deal with the security challenges that abound.

”Nations are focusing on all seven aspects of human security to ensure sustainable security in their countries. This way, people can achieve their dreams and crime becomes less attractive while the few that still venture into crime can be more efficiently and effectively dealt with”, he stated.

Balogun opined that stakeholders therefore require the combination of several strategies to combat security in Nigeria, particularly
in Lagos State.

”Policymakers and security professionals must possess interdisciplinary
knowledge and skills to understand the interconnected nature of security challenges and develop effective responses. That is why our theme for today’s event is “Security Convergence and Complexities: The Lagos State Imperatives”.

He stated that the complexity of security convergence also demands an increase in capacity-building efforts and expertise within territories.

The LSSFT Boss said: “The Fund received a total of N318.75 million in cash donations and two vehicles in 2023. We continue to thank our donors as their partnership is far-reaching and critical to the success of these security activities.”

Also, LSSTF Board Of Trustees Chairman, Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, said although the economic situation in the country had affected donations to the Fund, the Agency surpassed its revenue target by 94 percent.

“The unstable economic climate largely influenced by increasing foreign exchange rates has been a major fundraising challenge. This makes the donation drive even more pertinent for us especially, as there is no alternative to the collective funding model given the indication that the Government cannot do it alone”, Durosinmi-Etti said.

Blacktalker reports that the Fund Core values; Prudence,Accountability, Resourcefulness, and Trust continue to fuel its vision of making “Lagos, the safest and most prosperous commercial location in Africa and its mission of facilitating safety and security in Lagos State”.