Governors from across the Southern part of Nigeria will today, Wednesday, November 26, converge on Iperu, Ogun State, for a high-stakes meeting of the Southern Governors’ Forum, where regional security, economic cooperation and other pressing national and sub-national concerns will take centre stage.
The meeting, scheduled for 10 am, will take place at the residence of the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, in Iperu, according to a formal statement released Wednesday by the governor’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade.
Naija News reports that the Governors’ Forum has, in past communiques, taken joint positions on restructuring, resource control, VAT participation, fiscal federalism, security, and the role of traditional institutions.
The forum, comprising the 17 governors of the South-South, South-East and South-West, rose to prominence in 2021, following a string of regional insecurity, farmer-herder clashes, attacks on critical infrastructure, and heated national debates on devolution of power.
Since then, its meetings have served as a barometer for regional consensus-building among southern political leaders.
Traditional Rulers To Join Session
For Wednesday’s meeting, in a separate but equally significant engagement, the governors will hold a joint sitting with the Southern Traditional Rulers Council at 1 pm.
The meeting is aimed at strengthening synergy between elected leaders and monarchs on shared concerns and regional stability.
Earlier, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, expressed delight at hosting governors and monarchs, saying their arrival ahead of the session provided an opening for deeper alignment of expectations.
In a post on 𝕏, Abiodun said: “As we prepare to host the Southern Governors’ Forum meeting today, we were pleased to receive some of the distinguished attendees, particularly traditional rulers and respected leaders from across the southern region.”
He added that the visit allowed for critical pre-summit rapport building, stating: “Their visit offered us the opportunity to deepen ongoing engagements and align our shared expectations ahead of the gathering.”
Highlighting the importance of leadership across institutions, he also noted: “We value the presence of our royal fathers and regional leaders, whose wisdom and guidance continue to enrich our processes.”
He underscored Ogun’s responsibility as host: “As host, we remain committed to creating an atmosphere that encourages honest dialogue and fosters stronger collaboration among all stakeholders as we work together for the peace, stability, and development of our region and country by extension.”
Security, Economy, Cooperation Expected to Dominate Talks
According to Akinmade’s statement, the meeting will discuss security, economic cooperation, and other pressing national and regional issues, as southern leaders continue to push for a collaborative approach to curbing crime, driving shared investments, and improving fiscal participation across the region.
The forum is expected to examine regional security infrastructure and intelligence sharing, youth unemployment and poverty reduction models, economic integration, ports, trade and energy cooperation, and collaboration frameworks with traditional institutions.
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