Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has articulated a roadmap for merging a future state police department into the existing security framework of Lagos.
During a Monday interview on TVC, on the 22nd of December, 2025, the Governor emphasized that this evolution is essential for fostering a more agile and coordinated response to the state’s security challenges.
A cornerstone of the Governor’s plan involves the unification of high-tech surveillance and personnel. By bringing state police under the local jurisdiction, Sanwo-Olu aims to bridge the gap between intelligence gathering and active enforcement.
“If we do have state police, we can ensure that me, as a Chief Executive of the state, can integrate the entire architecture of the state police into our command and control centre,” he said.
The Governor noted that the transition is gaining momentum at the federal level. Pointing to the alignment between his administration and the Presidency, he added: “And thankfully, Mr President has said that he’ll do everything within his power to see how the country evolves into a state police,” Sanwo-Olu added.
Lagos currently relies on a foundation of over 7,500 neighborhood watch officers. Sanwo-Olu revealed that these numbers are poised for rapid expansion once the state police structure is finalized.
“I have over 7,500 neighbourhood watch. I can actually push to get them to 10,000 or 12,000 tomorrow or next tomorrow,” the governor stated.
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Furthermore, the state intends to break down silos between different agencies. The plan involves a unified data-sharing network where the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) operate in tandem with police units.
“The same information that LASTMA has in terms of cameras, the same information that LASEMA has and the state police, we all sit together and we will share it,” he said, stressing that such collaboration would provide “a comprehensive, integrated security architecture.”
These remarks follow a broader call for reform by President Bola Tinubu during the 14th APC National Caucus meeting in Abuja. The President urged party leaders and governors to champion state policing and local government autonomy, framing these changes as vital to the party’s mandate and recent judicial rulings on financial independence.