The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has honoured the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS)…

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has honoured the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, as its Man of the Year for his leadership in strengthening collaboration between security agencies and the media.

The honour was conferred at the union’s two-day National Security Summit held in Abuja.

The NUJ said its decision to honour the DSS boss was an affirmation that partnership, openness and mutual respect between the media and security institutions are vital to protecting lives, preserving democratic space and advancing nation-building.

NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahaya Abdullahi, disclosed this while addressing journalists on the recommendations of the national summit.

The summit, themed, “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building,” was organised by the NUJ in collaboration with the DSS and attracted media executives, journalists, heads of security and intelligence agencies, policymakers, academics, civil society actors and development partners.

Delegates met on June 18 and 19, 2026, to deliberate on how strategic communication, responsible journalism and coordinated security responses could jointly advance national stability.

Presenting the award, the NUJ said the investiture recognised more than a title, as it honoured a leadership approach that values engagement, transparency and partnership.

The union noted that under Ajayi’s stewardship, the DSS had maintained regular and constructive engagement with media stakeholders, creating channels that reduce suspicion, curb misinformation and foster cooperative solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.

Abdullahi described the summit as a timely intervention amid a complex security environment marked by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, violent extremism, separatist agitations and other emerging threats.

He reiterated that national security is a shared responsibility requiring ethical and accurate journalism, as well as coordinated action across institutions.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, who chaired the occasion, commended both the media and security agencies for their complementary roles.

He urged renewed trust and professionalism while reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to intelligence-driven operations, inter-agency collaboration, technological modernisation and community-based responses.

Speakers at the summit emphasised the media’s role as a force multiplier for security operations and a defender of democratic values.

Professor Okey Ikechukwu argued that strategic communication was essential to close information gaps that fuel harmful narratives.

Musikilu Mojeed, President of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, said press freedom and national security are mutually reinforcing and should be balanced through dialogue and due process.

The President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Aisha Ibrahim, called for greater inclusion of women in peacebuilding and security governance.

Participants observed that sustainable security requires a whole-of-society approach that combines operational readiness with socio-economic investment, community engagement and credible communication.

They also expressed concern over misinformation, the under-utilisation of women and youth in peacebuilding, and the link between drug abuse and criminality.

Recommendations adopted at the summit included institutionalising structured dialogue between media and security agencies, improving proactive and transparent communication from security services, strengthening fact-checking and ethical standards in journalism, expanding joint training for journalists and security communicators, and integrating summit outcomes into national security frameworks.

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