Dan Agbese, the steady hand who shaped modern Nigerian journalism

Dan Agbese, one of the most influential editors of his generation and a founding force behind Newswatch magazine, has died at the age of 81. His family announced his passing on Monday, describing him as a husband, father, grandfather, mentor and the Awan’Otun of Agila.

For more than five decades, Agbese shaped journalism in Nigeria with a steady hand and a clear conscience. He edited some of the country’s biggest newspapers, trained a generation of reporters, and helped build Newswatch into a powerhouse of investigative reporting. Yet friends and colleagues often recall the same thing: he never carried himself like a man of status, even though he was born into royalty and rose to national prominence.

A life anchored in humility and scholarship

Born on May 20, 1944 into Agila royalty, Agbese rarely spoke about his lineage. His life, colleagues say, was defined not by titles but by discipline and scholarship. After graduating from Government Teachers Training College, Keffi, he taught briefly before returning to school to pursue journalism seriously.

He studied Mass Communication at the University of Lagos between 1970 and 1973, emerging as a prize winning student with a second class upper. In 1976 he attended the Thomson Foundation in Cardiff and later earned a Masters in Journalism from Columbia University, New York. There, he distinguished himself as one of the best students in the programme.

In an earlier interview with the defunct Verbatim magazine, Agbese reflected on his brief desire to leave journalism altogether while at Columbia. “I didn’t think I was returning to journalism,” he said. “I thought I was going into book publishing… I had hoped that if I returned, I would set up a book publishing company, but it didn’t work out that way.”

A career built on courage, clarity and verification

Agbese began his professional career at the New Nigerian in 1967, later becoming chief sub editor and assistant editor at The Nigerian Standard. He then served as general manager of Radio Benue, special adviser and director of information in Benue State, and editor of the New Nigerian from 1982 to 1984.

It was during this period that colleagues saw the qualities that defined him. Mohammed Haruna, a longtime friend, said Agbese never compromised facts for convenience. He recalled how the editor refused to publish a forged document about the late Obafemi Awolowo despite political pressure. “Dan demanded incontrovertible proof that the document was genuine before he would publish the story,” Haruna said, adding that when no proof came, Agbese simply dropped the story, a decision later vindicated when the document was exposed as fake.

Haruna also remembered how Agbese insisted on running Chief M K O Abiola’s resignation from the NPN as the lead story in 1982. “It greatly annoyed the party,” he said, “but Dan believed accuracy and fairness came first.”

Building newswatch, a newsroom that raised the bar

In 1984, Agbese joined Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu and Yakubu Muhammed to found Newswatch, which hit the streets in January 1985. It was Nigeria’s first major weekly newsmagazine owned entirely by practising journalists, and it quickly changed the landscape.

Newswatch was bold, literary and unafraid. It broke major stories, challenged military rulers and became a benchmark for investigative journalism. Under Agbese, who rose from managing editor to editor in chief, the magazine became a professional training school in itself.

Eze Anaba, president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, described him as “one of the finest journalists Nigeria has ever produced,” adding: “He was one of those whose works kept Nigeria together. It’s sad that he passed on at a time Nigeria needs him most. He will be missed.”

A teacher of writers, a writer of clarity

Beyond the newsroom, Agbese was a prolific author and a widely read columnist for Daily Trust and The Guardian. His prose was clean, unadorned and quietly forceful.

Former Newswatch associate editor Akintunde recalled how rigorous Agbese was with copy: “It was a great privilege having one’s copy go through his probing,” he said.

Agbese wrote six influential books, including The Reporter’s Companion, The Columnist’s Companion and Style: A Guide to Good Writing, works now widely regarded as essential reading for journalism students.

With longtime colleagues, he co-founded May5Media, which published collections of their columns and a biography of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

A legacy built on principle

For many, Agbese represented the gold standard of Nigerian journalism, a man who insisted that facts must be verified, language must be clear and the public interest must come before political convenience.
His work, his colleagues say, spoke louder than his voice ever did.

He is survived by his wife, Rose, six children and seven grandchildren. The family says burial arrangements will be announced in due course.

Agbese leaves behind not just a body of work but a philosophy, journalism done with integrity, humility and unwavering commitment to truth.