The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, has been honoured with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Man of the Year Award in recognition of his efforts to strengthen collaboration between security agencies and the media in Nigeria.

The award was presented at the end of a two-day National Security Summit organised by the NUJ in collaboration with the DSS in Abuja.

The summit, themed “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building,” brought together media executives, journalists, heads of security and intelligence agencies, policymakers, academics, civil society actors and development partners to deliberate on the role of strategic communication and responsible journalism in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

Presenting the award, the NUJ said the recognition reflected Ajayi’s leadership in fostering engagement, transparency and partnership between the media and security institutions, describing such collaboration as critical to protecting lives, preserving democratic values and advancing national development.

According to communiqué released on Sunday, the union noted that under Ajayi’s leadership, the DSS had maintained regular engagement with media stakeholders, helping to improve mutual understanding, reduce misinformation and promote cooperation in tackling the country’s security concerns.

The communique was drafted by Shu’aibu Usman Leman, Abdulrazak Bello Kaura and Ayuku Pwaspo, and signed by the NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahaya Abdullahi.

Abdullahi described the summit as a timely intervention in view of the country’s evolving security landscape, which includes terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, violent extremism and other emerging threats.

According to him, national security is a collective responsibility that requires ethical and professional journalism, accurate information dissemination and effective collaboration among relevant institutions.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who chaired the event, commended both the media and security agencies for their complementary roles in safeguarding the nation.

He stressed the need for trust, professionalism and sustained cooperation, while reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to intelligence-driven security operations, inter-agency collaboration, technological advancement and community-based approaches to addressing insecurity.

Participants at the summit emphasised the media’s role in supporting national security efforts through accurate reporting and strategic communication, while also upholding democratic principles and press freedom.

Among the speakers, Professor Okey Ikechukwu highlighted the importance of strategic communication in addressing information gaps that often fuel misinformation and harmful narratives.

Similarly, President of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, Musikilu Mojeed, said press freedom and national security should not be viewed as competing interests, noting that both could be strengthened through dialogue, transparency and adherence to due process.

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

In their communiqué, participants observed that sustainable security requires a whole-of-society approach involving effective security operations, socio-economic development, community engagement and credible public communication.

They expressed concern over the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation, the underutilisation of women and youth in peacebuilding efforts, and the impact of drug abuse on criminal activities across the country.

The summit recommended institutionalising regular dialogue between media organisations and security agencies, strengthening fact-checking and ethical journalism, improving proactive communication by security institutions, and expanding joint training programmes for journalists and security communicators.

Participants also called for increased government investment in education, youth empowerment programmes, state-owned media organisations and modern security technologies.

The summit commended Ajayi and the leadership of the DSS for supporting the initiative and fostering a collaborative environment that enabled robust discussions on national security and nation-building.