Nigeria’s Department of State Services, (DSS), has established a new Directorate of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, (DPRSC).
The DSS, in a statement, said this is part of its efforts to sustain its engagement with citizens and the public at large, as well as deepen democratic governance, transparency, and accountability.
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The service has commended its Director-general, Yusuf Bichi, for taking the initiative to undertake the expansion and particularly for appointing Afunanya to pilot the directorate.
The Service has also appointed Peter Afunanya, the erstwhile Public Relations Officer, to head the directorate as the supervising director, and also be in charge of the service’s public communications, effective September 26, 2023.
Afunanya comes to his new role with over 20 years of vast and rich experience in Intelligence analysis, threat assessment, security administration, VIP protection/detailing, investigation, counterterrorism, open source intelligence management, background checks and security vetting, surveillance, security sector/intelligence governance, democratic accountability in law enforcement, educational research, peace advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, development communication, interagency cooperation/liaison, joint operations, teaching, public and media relations, reputation management, strategic communication, protocol and diplomatic affairs, writing, public speaking, stakeholder engagement among others.
A PhD holder in Security and Strategic Studies, which he bagged in 2019 from Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Afunanya also possesses a Master’s degree in Peace and Strategic Studies from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, from which he graduated in 2011.
Similarly, he obtained a Master of Arts degree in English language from the University of Uyo in 2009.
Earlier, Afunanya graduated from Abia State University, Uturu, in 1997 with a Second Class Upper Division in English Language.
He was a recipient of the President’s NYSC National Honours Award for Outstanding Performance (1998–1999) Service Year and the Edo State NYSC Meritorious Honours Award (1998–1999).
Since he enlisted in the DSS in 1999, Afunanya has attended many courses in leadership, management, executive intelligence management, preventing and countering violent extremism, as well as tradecrafts at the service’s training institutions.
Some of his foreign training programmes include Innovation and Strategy at Harvard University, USA; Web Investigation at City University, London; Security Management and Coordination at ARC London; International Conflict, USA; and Counterterrorism and Strategic Communication, Switzerland.
He has held many positions at the service’s headquarters, commands, and formations, the last being the public relations officer.
He was a member of the Board of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Subcommittee of the Presidential Transition Council.
He currently serves as a member of the Strategic Communication Inter-Agency Policy and Coordination Committee (SC/IPCC) in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
He is a Fellow of the Security Institute (FSI) and a member of many professional bodies, including the Society for Peace Scholars and Practice (SPSP), the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NiCarb), the Institute of Chartered Administration of Nigeria, the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
