Dr. Doyin Abiola, a pillar of Nigeria’s media landscape and former managing director of National Concord, has died at the age of 82. She passed away on Tuesday evening at 9:15 p.m. following a prolonged illness, her family confirmed.
Dr. Abiola, wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola, was not just a wife of a political figure but a formidable presence in her own right. She broke barriers in journalism and became the first woman in Nigeria to lead a national newspaper, setting a high benchmark in a field previously dominated by men.
Her journalism career began in the late 1960s after obtaining her English and Drama degree from the University of Ibadan. She wrote the powerful “Tiro” column for the Daily Sketch before moving to the United States to study journalism at the postgraduate level.
Returning to Nigeria after her Master’s, she joined the Daily Times and quickly rose through the ranks to become Group Features Editor. She pursued and earned her Ph.D. in Communications and Political Science from New York University in 1979.
Her intellectual depth and journalistic intuition made her a natural fit for the editorial board of the Daily Times, where she worked with some of Nigeria’s most brilliant journalists.
In 1980, she became the pioneer editor of the National Concord and was later appointed Managing Director in 1986. Under her leadership, the paper became a voice for the people and a beacon for truth.
She married MKO Abiola in 1981 and played a silent but influential role during his controversial political struggles, especially around the annulled 1993 elections.
Dr. Abiola’s expertise was also felt in media development, education, and policy. She chaired the nomination committee of NMMA and was a member of Ogun State University’s advisory council.
Recognized internationally and locally, she received the Eisenhower Fellowship in 1986 and the DAME Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming only the second woman to receive it.
Her life’s journey is one of resilience, vision, and service, qualities that defined both her personal and professional life.