Nigeria’s media community is in mourning following the reported passing of veteran journalist and Newswatch magazine co-founder, Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed. His death, confirmed by multiple sources, comes shortly after the loss of his longtime colleague and fellow Newswatch pioneer, Dan Agbese, who died in November 2025.
Mohammed’s transition marks the closing of a significant chapter in Nigerian journalism. Over the decades, he built a reputation for editorial rigor, thoughtful commentary, and institutional leadership that helped shape modern news reporting in the country.
Only weeks before his passing, he unveiled his memoir, Beyond Expectations, offering reflections on his personal journey and professional milestones. Though he had reportedly been unwell for some time, official details from his family were still being awaited at the time of reporting.
Born on April 4, 1950, in Ologba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Mohammed’s academic journey spanned institutions in Nigeria and abroad. He attended St. Joseph’s Primary School in Ayangba, proceeded to Government Secondary School in Okene, earned a degree from the University of Lagos, and later studied at the Glasgow College of Technology in Scotland.
His journalism career was both diverse and influential. Over the years, he held key editorial positions including Associate Editor and later Managing Editor at New Nigerian Newspapers, Deputy Editor and Editor at National Concord, and ultimately Co-founder and Executive Editor at Newswatch. He went on to serve as Managing Editor and later Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Newswatch Communications Limited, cementing his role as one of the publication’s foundational pillars.
Beyond Newswatch, Mohammed contributed to corporate and institutional leadership, serving as a director in private companies and taking on the role of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at Ahmadu Bello University. His involvement extended to professional associations such as the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association, and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
Away from the newsroom and boardroom, he nurtured personal passions that balanced his demanding career. Tennis, music, dance, and films were among the interests that defined his quieter moments.
Commentary and Analysis
Yakubu Mohammed’s passing underscores the fading presence of a generation that redefined investigative journalism and editorial independence in Nigeria. The founding of Newswatch in the 1980s represented a bold shift toward analytical reporting and magazine-style journalism that influenced countless publications.
His career trajectory also highlights the interconnection between media leadership and national development. Serving not only as a journalist but also as an academic administrator and corporate director, Mohammed exemplified multidimensional public service.
The recent loss of both Mohammed and Agbese within a short span has symbolic weight for the media industry. It signals the end of an era characterized by pioneering editorial courage during politically sensitive periods in Nigeria’s history.
As tributes continue to pour in, Mohammed’s legacy will likely endure in the institutions he helped build and in the generation of journalists shaped by his mentorship and standards.
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