The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, has called for a policy requiring the recruitment of first-class graduates into the intelligence agency to bolster national security.
Ajayi made the appeal while delivering the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
In his lecture titled “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration,” Ajayi emphasised the need for a paradigm shift in recruitment to ensure that only the brightest minds are enlisted in security agencies.
Represented by the DSS Deputy Director, Mr. Patrick Ikenweiwe, Ajayi likened the policy to Israel’s selective university admission system, where top academic performers are automatically inducted into national service.
He argued that recruiting first-class graduates into the DSS should be a compulsory national policy.
“Intelligence work requires exceptional intellect to track sophisticated criminal networks. How would a ‘Dundee’ (dullard) keep security in a gang made up of first-class criminals?” he questioned.
Ajayi also stressed that security agencies must be seen as allies rather than adversaries, urging for a shift in public perception, which has often hindered effective intelligence gathering and national integration.
Ikenweiwe, who also spoke at the event, highlighted that Nigeria’s security landscape has evolved, with traditional threats now compounded by terrorism, insurgency, cybercrime, and separatist agitations.
He reiterated the DSS’s commitment to tackling these challenges through collaboration with other security agencies and continuous engagement with stakeholders.
In his overview of the DSS mandate, Ikenweiwe pointed out that the agency’s role in safeguarding Nigeria’s internal security is defined by the National Security Adviser Act and the SSS Instrument of 1999.
The DSS is tasked with preventing crimes related to national security, such as espionage, subversion, and sabotage, and advising the government on matters of national security.
Meanwhile, in a related development, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu met with a delegation from the DSS, led by Deputy Director-General Mrs. Afolashade Adekayaoja, at the State House in Abuja.
The visit highlighted the administration’s commitment to promoting women in leadership roles within the security sector.
Tinubu praised the DSS for appointing a woman to such a high-ranking position and encouraged female leaders in the agency to support one another in their duties.
Adekayaoja expressed gratitude for the administration’s support for gender inclusivity and reaffirmed the DSS’s dedication to ensuring national security and stability.
With Ajayi’s push for a policy to recruit the country’s top graduates, the DSS aims to enhance its capacity to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges and contribute to national peace and integration.
