Former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Concord Newspapers, Dr Doyinsola Hamidat Abiola, died on August 5, 2025, at the age of 82 after a protracted illness. The media icon was one of the wives of the late business mogul and winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola, and one of the best female journalists Nigeria has produced.
Born on February 1, 1943, Dr Abiola (nee Aboaba) obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Drama at the University of Ibadan in 1969. She started her journalism career with the Daily Sketch in 1969, soon after graduation from the university. Her column in the newspaper, Tiro, was widely read, as it focused on public and gender issues. She left for the United States (US) in 1970 for postgraduate studies in Journalism.
Upon her return to Nigeria from the US, she joined Daily Times as a features writer. She had rejected an offer to become a Woman Editor at Daily Times, saying it was an attempt to limit her. She later rose to become the Group Features Editor. She returned to the US in the mid-1970s and obtained a PhD in Communications and Political Science from New York University in 1979. On her return, she joined the editorial board of Daily Times as a member. In the board with her then were media icons like Dele Giwa, Stanley Macebuh and Amma Ogan.
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Married to Chief Moshood Abiola in 1981, Dr Abiola became the pioneer daily editor of National Concord, a newspaper published and owned by her husband, in 1980. In 1986, she rose to become the newspaper’s MD and Editor-in-Chief, the first Nigerian woman to rise to that position. She was a good manager of human and material resources and made much impact as the Editor-in-Chief of Concord Newspapers. As MD of the Concord Group, she established 14 newspapers and magazines and pioneered tabloid journalism by creating Weekend Concord. She was instrumental to Weekend Concord’s soaring success. She was to spend over three decades in the media industry.
Dr Abiola was the chair of the awards nominating panel of the maiden Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA) in 1992. She received the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) Lifetime Achievement Award for her lifelong devotion to advancing the frontiers of knowledge and strengthening the media as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria in 2015. She was the second woman to receive the award after Mrs Omobola Onajide. She served as the Chairperson of the CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards and devoted her time and talent to mentoring and training young journalists.
She also sat on the Advisory Council of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences at Ogun State University. In 1986, she became an Eisenhower Fellow, the first Nigerian woman to be so honoured. Her passage elicited eulogies, extolling her sterling qualities from well-meaning Nigerians. President Bola Tinubu described her as a media trailblazer and a soldier of democracy. He said Dr Abiola’s contributions to journalism and national development were profound and enduring. According to him, Nigeria would never forget her legacy, leadership in the media, advocacy for women’s empowerment and steadfast commitment to the ideals of democracy.
The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, said Abiola was a distinguished individual in her own right who contributed immensely to journalism profession as well as a devoted partner to her husband. For the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, she was a patriot and a democrat whose legacy transcended journalism. The Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) expressed sadness over her loss. She was a trustee of the association. NPAN commiserated with Abiola’s entire family, former members of staff of the defunct Concord Newspapers and members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) said Dr Abiola’s legacy was a testament to her pioneering spirit. It added that her leadership, dedication to excellence and commitment to press freedom, gender equity, and national development left an indelible mark on the journalism profession. The President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhassan Yahya, described her as a woman of immense courage, intellect, and grace.
The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Motunrayo Alaka, said Abiola’s passing was surreal for her. Abiola was the first woman to receive the Wole Soyinka Lifetime Award for journalistic excellence. We commiserate with her family, friends and well-wishers on the great loss. May God grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
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