Dr. Doyin Abiola, a trailblazing journalist, one of Nigeria’s most prominent media professionals, and the former managing director and editor-in-chief of National Concord, has away at the age of 82.
She was one of the wives of Chief MKO Abiola, the late victor of the June 12 presidential election.
Known for becoming the first Nigerian woman to hold the position of editor-in-chief of a major daily newspaper, Dr. Abiola worked in the media for more than thirty years, breaking down boundaries and using journalism to influence public opinion.
She started her career at Daily Sketch, where she published the popular column Tiro, which focused on gender and public concerns. She was born in 1943 and graduated with a degree in English and Drama from the University of Ibadan in 1969.
She went to the United States in 1970 to pursue postgraduate studies, and in 1979 she graduated with a PhD in Communications and Political Science from New York University.
She began working at Daily Times as a features writer after returning to Nigeria, eventually becoming the Group Features Editor.
She eventually joined the paper’s editorial board, where she collaborated with Amma Ogan, Stanley Macebuh, and Dele Giwa.
One of the most influential women in Nigerian media at the time, Doyin went on to become the first daily editor of National Concord and was named Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief in 1986.
Dr. Abiola guided the National Concord newspaper to become one of Nigeria’s most significant media outlets while serving as editor and then managing director/editor-in-chief.
At one point, Doyin declined a position at the Daily Times as “Woman Editor,” which she believed undervalued her skills.
She finally joined as a Features Writer and advanced to the position of Group Features Editor because she insisted on being evaluated on her abilities rather than her gender.
The Concord Group grew to print up to 14 newspapers and periodicals under her direction.
Soldiers broke into the Concord property and damaged printing presses under General Sani Abacha’s rule. For eighteen months, the newspaper was prohibited.
In a 2001 interview, she subsequently noted that she stayed dedicated to journalism’s pursuit of justice and truth in spite of the pressure.
She served the industry in a variety of roles in addition to her achievements in the newsroom.
She served on the Advisory Council of Ogun State University’s Faculty of Social and Management Sciences and chaired the Awards Nominating Panel for the inaugural Nigerian Media Merit Award.
She received the title of Eisenhower Fellow in 1986.
She was just the second woman to earn the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award, which she got years later for her exceptional contributions to Nigerian journalism and democracy.
She chaired the CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards as well.
She supported her late husband, Chief MKO Abiola, who had won the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, during the ensuing years of political unrest.
It is anticipated that the family will announce the funeral plans.
