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By Sunday Ani, Lagos and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Nigerians from all walks of life, including President Bola Tinubu, media associations and organisations and others have continued to pay tribute to the late Dr. Doyinsola Abiola.
A journalist of repute and former managing director of the defunct Concord Group of Newspapers, Dr. Abiola, wife of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola, Nigeria’s revered businessman and political icon, died at the age of 82 yesterday.
President Bola Tinubu expressed sorrow over her death, describing her as an Amazon and icon in Nigerian journalism, who broke significant barriers in a male-dominated profession. After graduating from the University of Ibadan in 1969 with a degree in English and Drama, she embarked on a career in journalism, initially working as a reporter at the Daily Sketch. She would go on to become the first woman to edit a national newspaper in Nigeria, and later the first female Managing Director of a daily newspaper.
In a statement he personally signed, President Tinubu remarked that her trailblazing contributions to journalism and gender equity were foundational for many generations of women journalists, noting her enduring impact on Nigerian democracy.
He recalled that as the pioneer Editor of the National Concord owned by her late husband in 1980, she demonstrated a commitment to excellence that earned public trust and admiration. She also founded the Weekend Concord, a publication that heightened human-interest reporting and raised journalistic standards.
He said his personal connection with Dr. Abiola was rooted in his own closeness to the late MKO Abiola. Reflecting on her political engagement, the President said: “As MKO’s wife, Doyin became acquainted with politics and took a keen interest in it, particularly during her husband’s 1993 presidential campaign.”
The President highlighted her crucial role in mobilising and guiding the media during that campaign. Following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, widely acknowledged as won by MKO Abiola, she boldly confronted the military junta’s clampdown by demanding the election’s validation. “She was a soldier of democracy in her own right,” President Tinubu affirmed.
Emphasising her legacy beyond journalism, President Tinubu stated: “Nigerians will never forget Doyin Abiola’s leadership during her illustrious career, her championing of women’s empowerment and her unwavering dedication to democratic governance.”
He extended condolences to the Abiola and Aboaba families, including her only daughter, Doyinsola, and to the governments and people of Lagos and Ogun states. “May her soul rest in peace. May this nation be blessed with more women of her calibre and pedigree.”
•NGE, NPAN
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has also expressed deep sadness over her death at 82, describing her as a trailblazing journalist, whose legacy is a testament to her pioneering spirit, breaking down gender barriers and mentoring generations of journalists who have gone on to become great professionals.
In a statement jointly signed the President and General Secretary, Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh, said her career trajectory, from reporter to the pinnacle of journalism, sets records as the first woman to edit a national newspaper and the first woman to hold the position of Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of a newspaper in Nigeria.
“Dr. Abiola’s leadership, dedication to excellence and commitment to press freedom, gender equity and national development have left an indelible mark on the profession.
“We remember her courage and resilience during the military era, withstanding harassment and threats during her tenure at Concord Newspapers. As we pray for her soul’s repose, we celebrate her achievements, which serve as a reminder that a person’s legacy is defined by the positive impact they leave behind.
“Dr. Abiola’s life and work inspire us to strive for excellence, driven by passion and commitment, regardless of gender or circumstance,” the statement read.
The Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), in a tribute titled, ‘Doyin Abiola: Service to the end,’ described her as a sister, friend, colleague and a trustee of the Association.
A statement by NPAN’s chairman, Kabiru Yusuf, lamented that even though she lived to the ripe age of 82 years, that could not mitigate the NPAN’s shock at the news of her death.
“A quintessential journalist and media guru, Dr. Abiola was a record breaker in the Nigerian media space, being the first woman to be named editor of a national daily with her appointment in 1980, as Editor, National Concord newspaper.
“In 1986, she also became the first Nigerian woman to preside over the fortunes of a national newspaper group, as she was named managing director and editor-in-chief of the Concord Newspapers Group.
“In all, we take solace in the fact that she left an indelible mark in the newspaper industry and served the industry till her death,” the statement said.
•NUJ, NAWOJ
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, called for her immortalisation, describing her as a veteran journalist who made significant contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s media industry.
“The government should immortalise Dr Abiola based on the roles she played. It might be to name a media centre or any media facility in her name,” the council, Mr Adeleye Ajayi said in a statement.
According to him, the facility should serve as a resource centre or a media institute, where people can go and learn and remember the works of Dr. Abiola.
He described her as an erudite journalist, a veteran of the newsroom and a frontline woman in journalism, whose contributions to the industry would not be forgotten.
“We mourn Dr. Doyinsola Abiola. We have lost an erudite journalist. We have lost a veteran. We have lost a generalissimo of the newsroom.
“You agree with me that she was one of the frontline women in journalism and she did her utmost best.
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“She was the Editor-in-Chief of the defunct Concord, and she played her role meritoriously; so, there is no way the history of Nigerian press or the history of journalism in Nigeria will be written without mentioning Doyinsola Abiola. There must be a special place for her,” he said.
Also, Dr. Adeola Ekine, immediate past chairperson, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos State chapter, described her as an institution in the journalism industry.
Ekine said she was able to rise to the peak of her journalism career, a male-dominated profession.
“She was really a determined woman and changed the narrative of female journalists in Nigeria. I believe that, for the younger generation of female journalists, her life will really be a lesson, because she showed all of us that with hard work, skill and integrity, no barrier is insurmountable.
“We need to learn, we need to grow and challenge the norm, and we should also let our voice be heard clearly, just like the legacy of Dr Abiola,” she said.
•Daily Times
In the same vein, the management of Folio Media Group (FMG), Publishers of Daily Times Newspapers, has equally expressed sadness over the death of Dr Doyin, who was its staff and Editorial Board member.
A statement yesterday, by Dr. Fidelis Anosike, chairman/publisher, Folio Media Group, described her death as ‘shocking,’ saying she left at a time the media industry and the nation needed her wealth of experience the most.
Dr. Anosike said that Doyin, who later became Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of National Concord, was a consummate journalist, writer, advocate of social justice and champion of women’s rights, adding that, as the first woman editor of a daily newspaper in Nigeria, she was a pathfinder to women journalists, in particular and an inspiration to the media industry in general.
“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 the Daily Times Newspapers, who rose to the position of Group Features Editor and subsequently, a member of its Editorial Board.
“As of the 70s, it was big news for a woman to hold such a top position in the nation’s media industry and Doyin, indeed, distinguished herself and rose to the topmost of the Features Desk.
“That she later moved on to become the first woman editor of a daily newspaper in Nigeria, was a loud testimony of the stuff she was made of, as a committed professional.
“The late Mrs. Abiola was a consummate journalist, writer, advocate of social justice and champion of women’s rights. For the pioneer positions she held in Nigeria’s media industry and for distinguishing herself in subsequent leadership positions, she was a pathfinder to women journalists in particular and an inspiration to the media industry in general.”
Anosike urged the Abiola family to take consolation in the fact that she lived a fulfilled life, contributing immensely to the development of Nigeria and humanity.
•Alake mourns
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake said her transition signals the gradual exit of the beautiful ones who brought sparkle to the lives of many readers by publishing delightful stories of hope and perseverance.
“It is said that some are born great and others have greatness thrust upon them. Dr. Doyin Abiola, who joined the Saints yesterday, showed up on both counts.”
He described her as the scion of the illustrious Abiola’s family, reputed for its elitist pedigree and nobility built on professionalism and class.
“That heritage ensured that she climbed to the pinnacle of scholarship. Starting with Bachelor’s in English and Drama of Nigeria’s premier University of Ibadan, she followed with a Master’s and later crowned it with Doctor of Philosophy at the New York University, United States.”
Dr. Alake painted her as gentle and genial, soft yet solid, who inhaled and exhaled journalism.
“Breaking the news day after day, splashing shockers on the front pages and making sure that readers got the news of Concord hot very early at the newsstands, were the goals that drove her to deliver the best copies to the market.
“The late Dr. Abiola was, indeed, a newsman (as there are no women in journalism), trained for the job with an incredible passion for investigation and staying power for following up till the end of each episode.
“Dr. Abiola’ s managerial expertise was unparalleled. Complementing her husband, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, the publisher, Dr. Abiola supervised several innovative projects to position Concord Press as the primus inter pares in the media industry.
“She showed her motherly disposition in the provision of conducive working conditions and personal interest in staff welfare and professional development.
“Only a professional and manager of exceptional capacity and courage could have translated the publisher’s vision of independent journalism into daily publication of news and respected leaders.”
According to Dr. Alake, only a woman of quintessential professional standards and stoic sacrifice could have survived the regular onslaught of military invasion of Concord’s newsroom, incessant closures and incarceration of staff, and ultimately, the detention and death of the publisher”
“It is a testament of her doggedness that she brought her resourcefulness and stature to count on the side of the Nigerian people when it mattered most, unbowed by the wicked incarceration of her husband the winner of the June 12, 1993 election,” Dr. Alake noted
