After more than ten years of service, Peter Afunanya, the Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications for the Department of State Services (DSS), has been redeployed from his role.
Afunanya announced his redeployment during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
While Afunanya did not disclose his next assignment, he expressed gratitude for his decade-long tenure as the face of the DSS.
“Serving as the spokesperson for the DSS has been an honour,” he said. “I am committed to continuing my service to Nigeria with love, loyalty, honor, and glory, no matter where I am deployed next.”
The timing of Afunanya’s departure coincides with significant changes within the DSS.
Last week, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi was appointed as the new Director-General (DG) of the DSS. Ajayi, who assumed office recently, promised to refocus the agency on its core mission of covert operations and strategic silence.
Ajayi’s leadership will come at a crucial time as the DSS faces various challenges in Nigeria’s economic, political, and security environments.
The new DG has pledged to address these challenges head-on and to strengthen the DSS’s role in national security.
Afunanya holds a PhD in Security and Strategic Studies from Nasarawa State University and a Master’s in Peace and Strategic Studies from the University of Ilorin.
Afunanya’s career has also included notable appointments and recognitions. In April 2022, he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to the governing board of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
This role involved representing the DSS on the board, which oversees the broadcasting industry in Nigeria.
The DSS, however, has not announced a successor for the redeployed spokesperson.
