Newswatch co-founder Dan Agbese is dead

 Agbese was  a towering figure in the nation’s media landscape, decades after he first stepped into the newsroom. He was  regarded as a master stylist and  influential public affairs commentators

Born on 20 May 1944 in Agila, now located in Benue State, Agbese’s journey into journalism began with formal training at the University of Lagos, where he studied Mass Communication. His academic pursuits later took him to the prestigious Columbia University in New York for a master’s degree in Journalism, and to the Thomson Foundation in Cardiff, United Kingdom, for further professional training.

Agbese’s early professional years were spent at the New Nigerian and Nigeria Standard newspapers But his most defining professional milestone came in 1984, when he joined Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, and Yakubu Mohammed to establish Newswatch, the groundbreaking weekly newsmagazine that became a model of investigative journalism in Nigeria. Over the years, he served the magazine in several capacities, including Managing Editor, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, and Editor-in-Chief.

He was also a  prolific author. Agbese wrote  books ranging from political history to media practice. His works include Fellow Nigerians: Turning Points in the Political History of Nigeria, 1966–1999, Nigeria Their Nigeria, Ibrahim Babangida: The Military, Politics and Power in Nigeria, and The Six Military Governors: Voices of History, among others.