By Abiola Olawale
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed profound sorrow following the passing of Dr. Doyinsola Hamidat Abiola, Nigeria’s first female editor and former Managing Director of the National Concord newspaper, who died at 82.
The veteran journalist and media icon, wife of the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was said to have breathed her last on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, after considerable period of illness, leaving behind a legacy that re-shaped Nigerian journalism.
In a heartfelt statement, mourning the demise of the late first female editor in Nigeria, Tinubu described Dr. Abiola as an “Amazon and an icon in Nigerian journalism” and a “soldier of democracy.”
Reflecting on their connection, Tinubu noted his close relationship with the late MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
The President underlined Doyin’s pivotal role in mobilizing media support during her husband’s campaign and her unwavering stance against the military junta that annulled the election.
“Doyin Abiola, 82, was an Amazon and an icon in Nigerian journalism. She stayed in the journalism course since starting as a reporter with the defunct Daily Sketch after graduating from the University of Ibadan in 1969, majoring in English and Drama.
“She broke the gender barrier, becoming the first woman to edit a national newspaper and the first managing director of a daily newspaper.
“Her immense contributions to journalism and gender equity laid a foundation for generations of women. Her impact on our democracy was even more profound,” the President said.
The New Diplomat reports that Doyin Abiola, born in 1943, broke barriers as the first Nigerian woman to edit a national daily newspaper and later became the first female Managing Director of a national daily newspaper.
Her illustrious career began in 1969 after graduating from the University of Ibadan with a degree in English and Drama.
She started as a reporter at the Daily Sketch, where her column “Tiro” tackled pressing societal issues, including gender advocacy, earning her widespread recognition.
In 1970, Abiola pursued a master’s degree in journalism in the United States, returning to join the Daily Times as a Features Writer.
She quickly rose to Group Features Editor and later earned a PhD in Communications and Political Science from New York University in 1979.
Upon her return, she served on the Daily Times’ Editorial Board alongside notable editors like Stanley Macebuh, Dele Giwa, and Amma Ogan.
Her most significant contributions came at the National Concord, where she was appointed the pioneer daily editor in 1980 and later Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief in 1986.
Under her leadership, the Concord Group grew extensively to publish 14 newspapers, magazines, consolidating its influence in Nigeria’s media landscape.
Her three-decade tenure at Concord was marked by fearless commitment to dogged journalism and a commitment to democratic ideals, even during turbulent times, including the military regime’s 18-month shutdown of the newspaper under late General Sani Abacha’s tyrannical regime.
