Dr. Doyin Abiola, a pioneering Nigerian journalist and former Managing Director of National Concord newspaper and wife of Late Chief MKO Abiola, has died. Family sources confirmed that she passed away on Tuesday, August 5, at about 9:15 p.m.
Dr. Abiola made history as the first Nigerian woman to become editor-in-chief and managing director of a daily newspaper in the country. She was also the first female editor of a national daily and the wife of the late business mogul and Presidential candidate, Chief MKO Abiola.
Her journalism journey began in 1969 at Daily Sketch, where she launched a widely-read column, Tiro, focusing on social issues and women’s rights. She left in 1970 to pursue a master’s degree in Journalism in the United States.
On her return, she joined Daily Times as a Features Writer and rose to the position of Group Features Editor. In 1979, she earned a PhD in Communications and Political Science in New York and later rejoined Daily Times as a member of its editorial board, working alongside journalism icons like Dele Giwa and Stanley Macebuh.
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Dr. Abiola’s rise to prominence accelerated when she became the pioneer daily editor of the newly established National Concord. In 1986, she was appointed Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, a position she held with distinction for years, breaking gender barriers in the media space as the first woman to attain such heights in a national daily in Nigeria.
Her career spanned over three decades, and she contributed immensely to the growth and development of journalism in Nigeria. She got married to MKO Abiola in 1981.
Dr. Abiola is remembered not only for her professional accomplishments but also for mentoring a generation of journalists.
May her soul rest in peace.
