President Bola Tinubu has mourned the passage of Doyin Abiola and described her as an icon in Nigerian journalism.
Mrs. Abiola was said to have died on Tuesday night.
She was a former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of National Concord and the wife of the late MKO Abiola.
In his condolence message to the family, Tinubu said, “She broke the gender barrier, becoming the first woman to edit a national newspaper and the first managing director of a daily newspaper.
“Her immense contributions to journalism and gender equity laid a foundation for generations of women. Her impact on our democracy was even more profound.
“Doyin embodied integrity, tenacity, hard work, commitment to excellence, and dedication to public good and democratic good governance,” the President said in a message he signed.
While commiserating with the family of the deceased, he said, ”Nigerians will never forget Doyin Abiola’s leadership during her illustrious journalism career, her championing of women’s empowerment, and her commitment to democracy.
“I commiserate with the Abiola and Aboaba families, her only daughter, Doyinsola, and the government and people of Lagos and Ogun States.
“May her soul rest in peace. May this nation be blessed with more women of Doyin Abiola’s calibre and pedigree.”
In 1980, she emerged as the pioneer Editor of National Concord, owned by the late MKO Abiola.
She later became the managing director and editor-in-chief of all the Concord titles, including founding the Weekend Concord, which set new standards for making people the focus of reporting.
Her career at National Concord Newspaper spanned three decades, and she also worked in different capacities in Nigeria’s media space.
She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) for promoting democracy by advancing the frontiers of knowledge in the media.
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