LSSTF ES/CEO, Ogunsan Celebrates Improved Professional Competence, Mutual Trust among Security Operatives in Lagos; Hints at Overseas Learning Opportunities for Officers • As agency holds October edition of statewide inter-agency training
By Oki O. Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
At the heart of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund’s (LSSTF) overarching goal to secure Lagos State is sustained investment in the professional development of security operatives. This goal is achieved through its monthly Statewide Inter-Agency Training Programme commenced in March this year and the Executive Secretary/CEO, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan has assured will be strengthened to reach as many security agencies as possible in the next five years and beyond. This goal has greatly improved the professional competence, mutual trust, ethical discipline and willingness to work across institutional boundaries towards a common objective among all military, paramilitary, and other security agencies serving in Lagos.
At the October edition, the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSSTF, Dr. Ogunsan, reaffirmed his commitment to making the monthly initiative a lasting feature of Lagos’ security architecture, emphasising that the ultimate measure of the investment is a safer state, stronger collaboration among agencies and a security workforce equipped to protect lives, property and public confidence. He hinted that sustaining the monthly training throughout his tenure is to ensure that there is constant delivery of measurable value for security agencies among security agencies rather than become another institutional activity marking the calendar.
Welcoming participants, Dr. Ogunsan noted that the October session marked another milestone in a programme launched in March, with successive monthly editions bringing together personnel from different security organisations for shared learning and professional engagement. He said the programme would continue into November, with a special session planned for December to specifically prepare operatives for the security responsibilities associated with Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
According to him, the December session would adopt a more intensive format, with practical exercises designed to strengthen officers’ readiness for the election period. Ogunsan stressed that the responsibility for delivering credible, peaceful, free and fair elections would ultimately rest on the preparedness and conduct of officers deployed on the ground, regardless of assurances given at the highest levels of government. “If the President of the Federal Republic called the Inspector-General of Police and said, ‘I hope you are prepared,’ that answer is a function of the preparedness of those of you in this room,” he told participants, noting that the effectiveness of personnel operating at the state and operational levels would be instrumental in the 2027 general elections.
He highlighted that a major outcome of the sustained investment in the LSSTF monthly Statewide Multi-Agency Training Programme was the growing cooperation among security agencies in Lagos. He attributed the improvement in inter-agency relationships partly to the programme’s deliberate effort to bring personnel from different services into the same learning environment, where professional understanding can develop beyond institutional boundaries. “When last did you hear that Nigerian Army officer fighting in a police station in Lagos? It is not happening here in Lagos. If you have attended this training, you won’t raise your hand to hit the officer of another security agency, we are cooperating to fight our common enemy, that’s the essence of this training” he said, using the point to illustrate the value of stronger relationships among personnel who must work together when security threats arise. He disclosed that the LSSTF was expanding engagement with additional security organisations, including the Nigeria Customs Service and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arguing that every relevant security institution should contribute to a coordinated response to crime. “No criminal must survive in Lagos,” he declared.
Beyond operational collaboration, Ogunsan challenged officers to take their personal finance seriously, in anticipation of retirement and opportunities for further professional development. Using the cost of an international passport as a practical example, he urged officers to set aside savings in anticipation of overseas training opportunities that may become available through the Fund’s engagements with foreign missions and partners. He said that the selection process for the overseas training opportunities would be handled on the basis of preparedness, encouraging personnel to focus on developing themselves rather than seeking preferential treatment.
In attendance at the opening ceremony of the October edition are security expert, Dr. Wale Adeagbo who spoke on collaboration for security; Dr. Diya Ololade who spoke on health and wellness; dietitian, Miss Titilayo Akindele who spoke on nutrition, and Mr. Desmond Nnebue, the General Manager of Globus Training and Advisory Limited. There were free health checks and screening made available for all the security operatives who were present at the training program.
Leading the health intervention, Dr. Diya Ololade Oluwadamilola, Executive Director and Deputy Director of Clinical Services at Atlantis Pediatric and Multi-specialist Hospital, described the session as an effort to “protect our protectors. Most of these security agencies, officers, usually put their lives on the line, put their families on the line to ensure that they protect us citizens of Lagos.”
He said the medical component was designed to improve officers’ quality of life while helping them identify health risks before they become debilitating. Diya introduced the FRESH Protocol which consists of Food, Reduce stressors, Exercise, Sleep, and Health checks and vaccinations as a simple framework for healthier living.
The nutrition session was delivered by Miss Titilayo Akindele, clinical nutrition consultant and founder of NutriFull Clinical Services, warned against excessive consumption of fried street foods, sugary drinks and instant noodles, describing them as “enemy foods” when consumed too frequently. Her most memorable message was simple: “Your body is the most important piece of equipment. You maintain your weapon, your vehicle, your gear. Your body deserves the same discipline.” She urged officers to plan meals ahead, use weekends to prepare food in bulk where possible, stay hydrated and replace sugary drinks with healthier options such as water and nutritious snacks.
In his presentation, Dr. Adeagbo emphasized the urgent need for security personnel and institutions to continuously improve their professional standards and operational coordination in response to increasingly sophisticated security threats confronting modern urban societies.
According to him, effective security operations can no longer rely solely on force projection or isolated institutional efforts, but must increasingly be driven by ethical professionalism, strategic collaboration, accountability, emotional intelligence, communication, and public trust.
