Deputy Director Advocates for First-Class Graduate Inclusion

First-Class Graduates: A Call to Join the DSS

The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, has proposed a policy mandating the recruitment of first-class graduates into the intelligence agency to enhance national security. He made this suggestion during the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Represented by DSS Deputy Director Mr. Patrick Ikenweiwe, Ajayi emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in recruitment policies to ensure that only the best intellectual minds are enlisted into security agencies.

Ajayi drew comparisons to Israel’s education and security system, proposing a structured selection process where top academic performers are directly drafted into national intelligence services. He argued that intelligence work requires exceptional intellect to tackle sophisticated criminal networks and suggested that academia should supply intelligence agencies with details of exceptional graduates to ensure they contribute to national service.

However, this proposal has sparked debate among security experts and education analysts. Some argue that intelligence work demands more than just academic excellence, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, field experience, and emotional intelligence. They caution that recruiting based solely on academic grades may not be the most effective approach to building a competent security force.