By Atoyebi Nike
Nigeria’s media industry has lost a pioneer. Dr. Doyin Abiola, the first Nigerian woman to become editor-in-chief of a national daily, has died at the age of 82.
Her passing was confirmed on Wednesday by Jamiu Abiola, one of the sons of her late husband, Chief MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election. “Yes, she passed away last night,” Jamiu said in a phone call.
Dr. Abiola made history as the trailblazing managing director and editor-in-chief of the National Concord newspaper. Her career in journalism spanned over three decades, during which she broke professional barriers and became a symbol of integrity and leadership in the Nigerian media.
Born in 1943, Doyin earned her degree in English and Drama from the University of Ibadan in 1969. She began her journalism career at Daily Sketch, writing the popular column “Tiro,” which tackled societal and gender issues.
In 1970, she travelled to the United States for further studies and earned a PhD in Communications and Political Science from New York University in 1979. Upon returning to Nigeria, she joined Daily Times as a features writer, later becoming the Group Features Editor and serving on the editorial board alongside notable figures like Stanley Macebuh, Dele Giwa, and Amma Ogan.
In a bold career move, she declined an offer to be “Woman Editor” at Daily Times, believing it undervalued her professional worth. Instead, she insisted on earning her place on merit, not gender, and worked her way up through the ranks.
She later became the first daily editor of National Concord and was named Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief in 1986, a groundbreaking appointment that made her one of the most influential women in Nigerian journalism.
Under her leadership, the Concord Group grew to publish up to 14 different newspapers and magazines. During General Sani Abacha’s rule, the Concord office was raided and its presses destroyed, leading to an 18-month ban on the publication. Still, Doyin remained committed to the values of press freedom and justice, as she later recalled in a 2001 interview.
Outside the newsroom, Dr. Abiola served the journalism profession in various national and international roles. She chaired the inaugural Awards Nominating Panel of the Nigerian Media Merit Award and was a member of the advisory council for the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences at Ogun State University.
In 1986, she became an Eisenhower Fellow. She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence becoming only the second woman ever to receive the honour and served as chairperson of the CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards.
She was married to Chief MKO Abiola and stood by him during the political crisis that followed the annulled 1993 presidential election.
