The Business

of

Governance

Newsletter No 125 | October 2025

How are you doing?

I have just returned from a working visit to China, where we concluded key discussions that will soon see Oyo State taking its security efforts to the skies.

Over the past few years, our State has remained relatively peaceful and stable despite having the largest landmass in the southern part of Nigeria. This did not happen by chance. It is the outcome of deliberate and sustained investment in keeping our people safe and our communities secure.

When we launched the Western Nigeria Security Network, Amotekun in Oyo State, our goal was simple: to strengthen community policing and ensure our people could sleep with both eyes closed. Since then, the recruitment, training, and continuous equipping of Oyo State Amotekun personnel have remained a cornerstone of our security strategy. In the coming weeks, we will launch the air wing to provide surveillance over every inch of Oyo State landmass especially over our forests, mining sites and border areas.

Beyond Amotekun, we have also supported the Nigeria Police Force and other federal security agencies operating in Oyo State — providing vehicles, communication equipment, and welfare packages to boost their response and effectiveness. We established expanded security meetings at the State and Local Government levels, which includes our traditional rulers and community leaders, ensuring that grassroots intelligence directly informs our decisions.

So, as part of our continued commitment to proactive governance, we visited China to meet with manufacturers of surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. The goal is to introduce aerial support to complement our ground operations — especially in forested and hard-to-reach areas where criminals sometimes take refuge.

During the visit, we met with officials of CETC Wuhu Diamond Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited, toured their facility and agreed on maintenance support and pilot training. We also inspected the manufactured aircrafts for Oyo State which will be shipped by mid-November this year.

This marks a new phase in our approach to security. By combining real-time aerial surveillance with intelligence gathered by Amotekun and our traditional institutions, we are building a fully integrated system that can detect, deter, and respond to threats before they escalate.

The relative peace Oyo State enjoys today is a collective achievement — one we will continue to safeguard through foresight, collaboration, and technology. As we expand our partnerships with global innovators, we will also ensure that local professionals, especially our youth, gain the skills and opportunities needed to maintain and operate these systems.

Security remains the bedrock of development. As citizens, let us remain vigilant and remember to always call 615 toll-free to report any security concerns or emergencies. With your continued trust and support, we will keep building a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Oyo State.

Talk to you again soon.

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Website: www.oyostate.gov.ng