In Lagos, the city that remains a magnet for local and international investment and plays host to millions of residents and visitors, the strength of its security architecture is inseparable from the strength of its economy. This is why the strategic decision by the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan to take the state’s security conversation beyond Nigeria’s borders will be as consequential as the equipment and interventions the institution has delivered over the years. This is why he is pushing the LSSTF to look beyond its traditional domestic donor base to build international partnerships for the security of Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre and West Africa’s economic hub.
Barely days after his visit to the British High Commission in Lagos, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the LSSTF, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, has taken another courtesy visit to the German Consulate to seek an international engagement with the diplomatic mission, to enhance stronger collaboration for training, equipment, technical support and other interventions capable of strengthening Lagos’ security architecture. Members of the LSSTF delegation comprise the Board Member, DIG Agboola Oshodi-Glover (retd); Director of Administration, Mr. Adegbola Lewis and Executive Assistant, Mrs. Adaobi Nwankwo.
Speaking during the visit to the German Consulate, Dr. Ogunsan traced the origins of the LSSTF to the security challenges that confronted Lagos before its establishment in 2007, describing the Fund as a distinctive public-private partnership created to bridge critical operational gaps confronting security agencies.
According to him, the intervention has transformed the security landscape by providing equipment, operational assets, training and other resources to agencies responsible for protecting Lagos.He said: “This unique agency came into existence in September 2007. It was established by a very pragmatic and dynamic governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who realized the need of the agency. Prior to 2007, there was a breakdown in security. Most of the men were not empowered, were not encouraged, and their operations were not well-funded. They were not getting results, so the Governor decided to take the bull by the horn.”
Ogunsan explained that the Fund operates differently from conventional government agencies because it does not receive government subvention, relying substantially on voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses and other stakeholders.“One special thing about this Fund is that it is a donor-funded agency. We do not take subvention from the government. All that we have is sourced from individuals and the private sector,” he said, noting that the Fund had consequently become a major intervention platform for security agencies operating in Lagos, supporting them with operational vehicles, equipment, training and other critical resources.
“If you give the Nigerian Police, let’s say, 50 units of vehicles directly, they will come back to us. This is because as soon as you give the donation, you will step back as a giver but who maintains the vehicles if you want to see the vehicles after 365 days, in two years, or in three years? But in Lagos, if you give us, we don’t only intervene by giving them, we also maintain the vehicles for them,” he said.
Ogunsan affirmed that the LSSTF has established a strong mechanism for identifying security needs, deploying resources and maintaining donated assets. He, therefore, appealed for a strategic relationship with Germany, so as to expand the support model internationally. He also promised to invite them for the upcoming Statewide Multi-Agency Training Program which brings security Operatives from various security agencies into the same room to learn and collaborate.
Responding, the Head of Corporate Services at the German Consulate, Lagos, Jörg Steckhan, acknowledged the Fund’s longstanding contribution to Lagos security, recalling his previous posting to the state between 2013 and 2017. “I know what you are doing at LSSTF,” Steckhan said, noting that Germany already maintains strong bilateral security relationships with several Nigerian agencies, particularly in policing, border management and migration. He requested a concise document detailing the history of the LSSTF and the specific areas in which it seeks German intervention, promising to forward the request to the appropriate authorities.
Steckhan explained that direct financial support to the LSSTF would require appropriate authorisation and consultation with relevant authorities in Germany. “I cannot promise anything, but I will have to check with some sections of the Federal Ministry because they also have a small budget for things going in this direction,” he said.
Timm Falkowski, the Liason Officer of German Federal Police stated that he has been working in Lagos for two years, so there is a working Nigerian-German relationship. “We have close connections with the Nigerian Immigration Service and the FAAN. We are working closely.”
The engagement marks another step in Ogunsan’s emerging strategy of positioning Lagos security as a shared responsibility extending beyond Nigeria’s borders.