Media icon Dr Doyin Abiola dies at 82 years

She was said to have died around 9.15am on Tuesday.

Widely celebrated as the first Nigerian woman to become editor-in-chief of a national daily newspaper, Dr. Abiola spent over three decades in the media industry, breaking barriers and shaping public discourse through journalism.

Doyin Abiola studied at the University of Ibadan, where she obtained a degree in English and Drama in 1969.

She worked briefly  with the Daily Sketch Newspaper on graduation before leaving for the United States for a Master Degree programme in journalism in 1970.

On her return to Nigeria, she joined Daily Times as a Features Writer and rose to the position of Group Features Editor.

She was later appointed to the paper’s editorial board, working alongside the likes of Stanley Macebuh, Dele Giwa, and Amma Ogan.

Doyin went on to become the pioneer daily editor of National Concord, and in 1986, was appointed Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, making her one of the most powerful women in Nigerian media at the time.

As editor and later Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Abiola led the National Concord newspaper to become one of Nigeria’s most influential media platforms.

She served the industry in various capacities.

She chaired the Awards Nominating Panel of the maiden Nigerian Media Merit Award and sat on the Advisory Council of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences at Ogun State University.

In 1986, she was named an Eisenhower Fellow.

Years later, she received the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contribution to journalism and democracy in Nigeria, becoming only the second woman to receive the honour.

She also served as Chairperson of the CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards

She was married to the late Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.