Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Dr Doyin Abiola, widow of the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola, is dead.
She died on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the age of 82.
Doyin, a former Editorial Board member of Daily Times was widely celebrated for her trailblazing contributions to journalism and media leadership in Nigeria.
In a statement signed on Wednesday by Dr Fidelis Anosike, Chairman/Publisher of Folio Media Group, publishers of Daily Times, said her death was described as a great loss to the media industry and the nation at large.
It read: “It is with great shock and sadness that I have received the news of the passing of Dr. Doyin Abiola, a former Features Writer with Daily Times Newspapers who rose to become Group Features Editor and later, a member of its Editorial Board,” Anosike said.
He noted that at a time when few women held top positions in media, Dr. Abiola distinguished herself and rose through the ranks with dedication and excellence.
“She was a consummate journalist, writer, advocate of social justice, and champion of women’s rights. As the first woman editor of a daily newspaper in Nigeria, she was a pathfinder for women journalists and an inspiration to the media industry as a whole.”
The Foundation also recalled her remarkable tenure as Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of National Concord, a position she held from 1986, becoming the first Nigerian woman to occupy that role.
Born in 1943, Dr. Abiola studied English and Drama at the University of Ibadan, graduating in 1969. She began her journalism career with Daily Sketch, where she wrote a column titled “Tiro,” addressing issues of public and gender concern. In 1970, she travelled to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree in Journalism, and later earned a PhD in Communications and Political Science from New York University in 1979.
Upon her return, she rejoined Daily Times as a member of the Editorial Board, working alongside notable editors such as Stanley Macebuh, Dele Giwa, and Amma Ogan. She later moved to National Concord, where she was appointed its pioneer daily editor before rising to become its Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief.
Her career at National Concord spanned nearly three decades, during which she held several leadership positions within the Nigerian media space. She served as Chairperson of the Awards Nominating Panel for the first Nigerian Media Merit Awards and was a member of the Advisory Council of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences at Ogun State University.
Dr. Abiola was the recipient of several accolades, including the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of her lifelong contributions to journalism and media development. She was also awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship in 1986.
Folio Media Group, in its tribute, called on the Abiola family to take solace in the knowledge that Dr. Doyin Abiola lived a fulfilled life, made significant contributions to the development of Nigeria, and left an indelible legacy in the media industry.
“We at Daily Times and Folio Media Group join the rest of the country and the global media community in mourning her loss and praying for strength and comfort for her family,” the statement concluded.
