Nigeria has lost a trailblazing media icon and respected matriarch, Dr. Doyinsola Hamidat Abiola, the widow of late Chief MKO Abiola and the country’s first female Editor-in-Chief of a national newspaper. She died peacefully on the evening of Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the age of 82, after a brief illness.
The news of her passing was confirmed by family sources and close associates on Wednesday morning, sparking tributes from political leaders, media professionals, and citizens across the country.
Dr. Doyin Abiola was widely celebrated for her brilliance, elegance, and towering achievements in Nigerian journalism. She made history in the 1980s as the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Concord Group of Newspapers, a role that not only shattered glass ceilings but paved the way for women in leadership across the media sector.
Born in 1943, she began her journalism career at Daily Sketch in 1969, writing a popular column titled “Tiro”, which tackled pressing social issues. After earning her Master’s in Journalism in the United States, she returned to Nigeria and joined the Daily Times, quickly rising to the position of Group Features Editor. She later obtained a PhD in Communications and Political Science from New York University in 1979.
In 1981, she married the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, acclaimed winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election. Dr. Abiola played a quiet but firm role during Nigeria’s democratic struggles, especially during the years of her husband’s detention under the Abacha regime.
Her professional achievements were equally groundbreaking. In 1986, she was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the National Concord, becoming the first woman to hold such a position in Nigeria. She was later named Managing Director, overseeing one of the country’s most influential media houses at the time.
A mentor to many and a respected voice in media ethics and public service, Dr. Abiola was a recipient of several national and international honours, including the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) Lifetime Achievement Award and the Eisenhower Fellowship.
Condolence messages have begun pouring in from across the country. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo described her as "a fearless editor, a resilient woman, and a silent force behind Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement." Several media organisations have also opened tribute registers in her honour.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in the coming days.