The management of Folio Media Group (FMG), publishers of Daily Times, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of one of its most distinguished former staff, Dr. Doyin Abiola, who died on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the age of 82.
Dr. Abiola, a trailblazing journalist and widow of late Chief MKO Abiola, began her media career at Daily Sketch before joining Daily Times as a Features Writer.
She steadily rose through the ranks to become Group Features Editor and later served on the newspaper’s Editorial Board, working alongside renowned editors such as Stanley Macebuh, Dele Giwa, and Amma Ogan.In a statement signed on Wednesday by Chairman and Publisher of FMG, Dr. Fidelis Anosike, her death was described as a “shocking loss,” coming at a time when the media and the country still greatly needed her insight and wisdom.
Anosike praised Dr. Abiola as a committed professional, an advocate for justice, and a role model for women in journalism.“Doyin Abiola was a pathfinder. She broke barriers as the first woman editor of a daily newspaper in Nigeria and inspired generations of journalists with her courage, intellect, and dedication,” Anosike said.
“We at Daily Times and Folio Media Group join the nation and the global media community in mourning her loss.”
A graduate of the University of Ibadan and New York University, where she earned her PhD in Communications and Political Science, Dr. Abiola’s illustrious career also included leadership of National Concord, where she served as Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief for nearly three decades.
Beyond the newsroom, she contributed to journalism through several national and international roles, including as Chairperson of the first Nigerian Media Merit Awards Nominating Panel and recipient of the prestigious DAME Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 1986, she was also selected for the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship.Dr. Anosike urged the Abiola family to take pride in the impact she made, describing her life as “one that was truly fulfilled and devoted to national development and the empowerment of others.”
