DSS DG Calls for Recruitment of First-Class Graduates for National Security

• DSS DG Ajayi calls for the recruitment of first-class graduates into security agencies.
• He advocates for academia to supply lists of exceptional students for national service.
• Ajayi highlights the evolving security threats facing Nigeria, including terrorism and cybercrime

The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has called for a national policy mandating the recruitment of first-class graduates into intelligence agencies as a strategy to enhance national security.

Ajayi made the appeal during the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, where he was represented by DSS Deputy Director, Mr. Patrick Ikenweiwe.

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Speaking on the theme, “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration,” Ajayi emphasized the need for a shift in recruitment policies to ensure that only the best intellectual minds are enlisted in national security services.

Drawing inspiration from Israel’s security model, Ajayi proposed a system where top academic performers would be directly drafted into national intelligence services. He argued that the intellectual capacity of first-class graduates would better equip them to handle the complex nature of modern security challenges. “Tell me how would a ‘Dundee’ (dullard) be able to keep security in a criminal gang that is constituted of first-class people? It takes intellect to track criminality,” Ajayi stated.

He further suggested that Nigerian academia should provide intelligence agencies with lists of exceptional graduates who could be compelled to serve the nation.

“If I have my way in this country, and we keep praying that we do the right thing, the academia should be able to supply us the details of students who have excelled in their various fields of study so that they would be forced to serve this great nation,” he added.

Ajayi also addressed the importance of changing the public perception of security agencies. He noted that viewing agencies like the DSS as adversaries rather than allies could negatively impact intelligence gathering and peacebuilding efforts.

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As he discussed Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, Ajayi highlighted the rise of terrorism, insurgency, cybercrime, and economic sabotage, stressing that the DSS is committed to tackling these threats through strategic collaborations and ongoing engagement with relevant stakeholders.

Meanwhile, in a related development, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu met with a DSS delegation led by Deputy Director-General Mrs. Afolashade Adekayaoja at the State House in Abuja. Tinubu praised the DSS for appointing a woman to a high-ranking position, emphasizing the importance of recognizing women in leadership roles.

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