President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, on his recognition by the Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI) for his commitment to press freedom.
Ajayi received a commendation award at the IPI Annual Conference held on December 2, 2025, in Abuja, where he was honoured as a champion of press freedom.
According to the IPI, Ajayi has shown “an unmistakable commitment to press freedom and respect for journalists and media organisations” since his appointment as Director-General of the DSS in late August 2024. The organisation affirmed that the award was meant not only to acknowledge his record but also to encourage him to do more and inspire other public officials and institutions to follow his example.
President Tinubu welcomed the award and praised the DSS Director-General for upholding press freedom, respecting citizens’ rights and carrying out his responsibilities within the bounds of the law.
The president stated that the DSS, under Ajayi’s leadership, is changing the long-standing narrative of hostility between security agencies and the media, replacing it with dialogue and constructive engagement with journalists and the wider civil populace.
Tinubu also urged other security agencies and public officials to emulate the DSS by relating with the media as partners rather than adversaries.
He further encouraged the DSS leadership to sustain its efforts in creating a more enabling environment for journalists and media practitioners to perform their professional duties, in line with the constitutional role of the media in holding public officials accountable.
