President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Folashade Arinola Adekaiyaoja, fsi+, fdc, as Deputy Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), marking an unprecedented milestone in the agency’s history.
This decision, the first of its kind by any Nigerian president, has been widely lauded by serving and retired DSS officers as a step towards restoring professionalism and efficiency within the secret service.
The presidential approval aims to revamp the DSS hierarchy to align with its original organogram, which designates three Deputy Directors General. Adekaiyaoja’s appointment comes as part of broader efforts to enhance the agency’s operational effectiveness.
Sources revealed that her appointment was recommended by the DSS Director General, Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, and endorsed by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, before receiving the president’s final approval.
President Tinubu had earlier tasked heads of security agencies to propose strategies for improving service delivery in line with his commitment to securing lives and property across Nigeria. Adekaiyaoja’s appointment is seen by many within the DSS as a move that will foster career progression and operational efficiency within the organization.
In a related development, President Tinubu recently reiterated his commitment to equipping security agencies with Artificial Intelligence-powered tools to combat insecurity. Speaking through the NSA during the graduation ceremony of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) Executive Intelligence Management Course 17, he urged security agencies to synergize for the common good of Nigerians.
DSS Director General Oluwatosin Ajayi, who assumed office in August 2024, has pledged sweeping reforms aimed at transforming the DSS into one of the world’s most efficient covert security agencies. This latest appointment of Adekaiyaoja is seen as a key step in achieving that vision.
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