Veteran Journalist and Newswatch Co-Founder Dan Agbese Dies at 81

|By Adejumo Adekunle

Nigeria’s media community has lost one of its most influential voices as veteran journalist and Newswatch magazine co-founder, Dan Agbese, died on Monday morning in Lagos at the age of 81.

Family sources confirmed his passing to an online news platform owned by Mr. Shola Oshunkeye, marking the end of a towering career that shaped generations of Nigerian journalism.

Agbese, renowned for his incisive writing and editorial courage, steered major newsrooms throughout his decades-long career. He edited The Nigeria Standard and led the New Nigerian, before later serving as general manager of Radio Benue. Until April 2010, he directed Newswatch magazine as its editor-in-chief, helping position the publication as one of the country’s most authoritative investigative outlets.

A scholar and prolific writer, Agbese earned degrees in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Lagos and Columbia University, New York. He also authored several acclaimed titles, including Nigeria Their Nigeria, Fellow Nigerians, The Reporter’s Companion, Style: A Guide to Good Writing, and The Columnist’s Companion: The Art and Craft of Column Writing—works that continue to guide both aspiring and seasoned journalists.

His death marks the passing of a media icon whose influence on Nigeria’s journalism landscape remains indelible.