Tinubu Hails DSS DG Over IPI Award, Commends Agency’s Transition from Media Hostility to Constructive Dialogue

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his warm felicitations to the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, following his recognition by the International Press Institute (IPI) as a champion of press freedom in Nigeria.

In a statement released on Sunday, December 21, 2025, by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President welcomed the IPI Commendation Award, describing it as a testament to the positive reforms currently taking place within Nigeria’s primary domestic intelligence agency.

The IPI, a global network of editors, media executives, and leading journalists, conferred the award on Mr. Ajayi during its annual conference held earlier this month in Abuja. The institute noted that since assuming office in August 2024, the DG has steered the DSS away from its notorious history of “harassment and intimidation” toward a new era of professionalism, restraint, and openness to dialogue.

“The President affirms that the DSS under Mr. Ajayi is changing the narrative of hostility against members of the press and creating an atmosphere of robust engagement with the civil populace,” the statement read. President Tinubu specifically lauded the DG for ensuring that the agency operates strictly within the bounds of the law while upholding the constitutional rights of citizens.

The IPI’s justification for the award highlighted several landmark decisions by the DSS boss, including the permanent removal of veteran journalists from decades-old security watchlists and the swift release of media practitioners entangled in administrative disputes. Furthermore, the agency’s recent move to issue formal apologies and discipline errant officers involved in the mistreatment of journalists was cited as a major step in rebuilding public trust.

President Tinubu encouraged other security and law enforcement agencies to emulate the example set by the DSS. He stressed that the media should be viewed as strategic partners in the quest for transparency and national development, rather than as opponents of the state.

The DSS DG, in a separate response to the IPI, reaffirmed his commitment to fostering a conducive environment for journalists, pledging that the Service would continue to prioritize the protection and fair treatment of members of the fourth estate.