Doyin Abiola, pioneer media matriarch, dies at 82

• Doyin Abiola became the first Nigerian woman to attain the position of editor of a national newspaper in 1980.
• She earned a PhD in communication and political science from New York University in 1979 after completing her master’s.

The Nigerian media landscape has lost one of its pioneering figures, Doyin Abiola, who passed away at the age of 82.

Doyin, the widow of Moshood Abiola, acclaimed winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election, breathed her last on Tuesday after a short illness.

She holds the distinction of being the first Nigerian woman to attain the position of editor and editor-in-chief in a national newspaper.

Her academic journey began at the University of Ibadan, where she graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in English and Drama.

Upon completing her university education, Doyin ventured into journalism with the Daily Sketch, taking up a reporter’s role.

During her stint at the Sketch, she launched a popular weekly column titled ‘Tiro’, which became her platform to spotlight societal issues.

In 1970, she left Nigeria to pursue a master’s degree in journalism in the United States, seeking to deepen her expertise.

Returning home after her postgraduate studies, Doyin joined the Daily Times as a features writer and rose to group features editor.

She later proceeded on a study leave and, by 1979, had earned a PhD in communication and political science from New York University.

On returning to Nigeria, Doyin had a brief return to the Daily Times before moving to National Concord, a media outfit owned by her husband.

In 1980, she was appointed editor of National Concord, thus making history as the first woman to edit a Nigerian national newspaper.

Six years later, in 1986, she became the paper’s editor-in-chief and managing director, becoming the first Nigerian woman to hold that top position.

Her stellar career earned her several accolades, including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship in 1986.

She was also the second female recipient of the DAME Lifetime Achievement Award, a testament to her enduring impact on journalism.