Akure is wearing a new look, and the evidence is visible across the city. Roads are being rehabilitated and constructed, streetlights now illuminate major corridors, and key junctions are being redesigned to reflect the outlook of a modern state capital.
But if the Ondo State Government truly wants this transformation to endure, it must match aesthetics with security intelligence. That conversation cannot be complete without one urgent intervention: a citywide CCTV surveillance system.
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This is 2026. Akure will be 50 years old as a state capital by February. A city of this status should not still depend solely on human vigilance, whistles, and reactive enforcement to maintain law and order. Modern cities do not guess,they monitor.
They do not wait for chaos — they anticipate it. Ondo State must not allow its capital to lag behind.
Across Akure, lawlessness is rising in forms that threaten both public safety and government investment.
Reckless commercial motorcyclists are increasingly used to perpetrate crimes. Motorists drive against traffic with impunity. Traffic violations endanger lives daily. More disturbing are reports of vulnerable persons being dumped along roadsides for sinister purposes.
These are not problems of manpower alone. They are failures of visibility. Modern problems require modern tools.
Globally, cities now rely on extensive CCTV networks deployed across major roads, intersections, and public spaces. These systems operate through centralized monitoring centres, transmitting live high-definition feeds for real-time decision-making.
Enhanced with artificial intelligence, they automatically detect traffic violations, accidents, abandoned objects, suspicious movements, and congestion patterns — allowing authorities to act swiftly.
CCTV is not merely about crime detection; it is a powerful deterrent. When citizens know their actions are visible, behaviour changes. Vehicles that currently ram into streetlight poles and vanish without consequence would no longer escape accountability.
One-way violations would reduce. Emergency services would respond faster. Evidence would be readily available for prosecution.
Beyond security, CCTV systems strengthen traffic management. Akure has already taken commendable steps in this direction. The installation of modern traffic lights at First Bank area, the old NEPA Roundabout, the ShopRite axis nearing completion, and the Government House junction signals a deliberate move toward organised traffic control.
But traffic lights alone are not enough.
Without CCTV integration, enforcement remains weak and violations go unrecorded. Surveillance cameras would complement these installations by monitoring compliance, adjusting traffic flow in real time, and detecting incidents instantly. This is the logical next step.
CCTV deployment also presents a legitimate revenue opportunity. Many cities leverage camera-based enforcement to penalise minor traffic infractions fairly and transparently.
Ondo State can do the same. Funds generated can be reinvested into road maintenance, streetlight repairs, and system sustainability.
Already, some newly installed solar streetlight poles in Akure have been damaged — with no evidence, no accountability, and no consequences. This should not continue.
To achieve this, the state must establish a central monitoring and control hub staffed by trained professionals, data analysts, traffic managers, and first responders. Such a system moves governance away from guesswork and toward data-driven decision-making — the hallmark of smart cities.
Cities like Lagos, Abuja, London, Singapore, and others have long embraced CCTV-powered urban management. Ondo State cannot afford to fold its arms while peers move ahead.
The message is clear: it is not enough to beautify Akure if the beauty is left unprotected.
Infrastructure will continue to be abused. Public funds will remain vulnerable. Crime will keep hiding in blind spots.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration has invested heavily in giving Akure a facelift. The next responsible step is to protect that investment with intelligent surveillance.
Akure’s new shape deserves modern security.
Ondo must not blink.
The time for CCTV-powered governance is now.
