Dan Agbese, a veteran journalist and co-founder of the iconic Nigerian magazine Newswatch, has died at the age of 81. He passed away on Monday morning in Lagos State, according to family sources.
Agbese co-founded Newswatch alongside Dele Giwa, who was tragically killed by a parcel bomb in 1986—a case that remains unresolved to this day. Newswatch grew to become one of Nigeria’s most influential weekly news magazines, published by Newswatch Communications Limited.
An accomplished journalist and academic, Agbese held degrees in Mass Communications and Journalism from the University of Lagos and Columbia University, New York. He served as editor of The Nigeria Standard and New Nigerian, and as general manager of Radio Benue. He was Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch until April 2010.
Agbese was also a prolific author, with notable works 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. He was widely respected for his incisive newspaper columns and contributions to Nigerian journalism.
His passing marks the loss of a prominent voice in the Nigerian media industry.
