Dan Agbese, a towering figure in Nigerian journalism, has passed away at the age of 81.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a family statement issued on Monday, his son Okibe Agbese said the respected writer transitioned to eternal glory earlier that day, with burial plans to be announced in due time.
Born on May 12, 1944, in Agila, Ado LGA of Benue State, Agbese pursued mass communication and journalism at the University of Lagos and later earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in New York. Over the decades, he built a reputation for piercing political commentary, mentorship, and fearless advocacy.
Agbese’s career saw him edit major national newspapers, including The Nigeria Standardand New Nigerian. He also served as general manager of Radio Benue in Makurdi.
In 1984, he joined Ray Ekpu, Dele Giwa, and Yakubu Mohammed to found Newswatchmagazine, a trailblazing weekly that popularised investigative journalism in Nigeria. He eventually became Newswatch’s editor-in-chief, a role he held until April 2010.
Even after formally stepping down, Agbese remained an active voice in media. He continued writing weekly columns for Daily Trust and The Guardian, and ran a media consultancy alongside his colleagues Ekpu, Mohammed, and Soji Akinrinade.
Over his lifetime, he published several books, including works on Nigerian political history and military regimes, as well as guides on writing and journalism craft. His writing style has long been admired, and his influence studied by media scholars.
The deceased is survived by his wife, six children, and seven grandchildren.
