Mr Dan Agbese, co-founder of Newswatch and Newswatch Plus, died today at the age of 81, according to family sources.

Born on 20 May 1944 into Agila royalty in Okpowu Local Government Area of Benue State, Agbese preferred to be known simply as “Mister” despite his royal lineage.

He began his career in education before joining the New Nigerian newspaper in the late 1960s as a staff writer under Malam Adamu Ciroma, the first indigenous editor of the paper.

Agbese later pursued a degree in Journalism at the University of Lagos, graduating in 1973 with a second-class upper division, and went on to earn a master’s degree at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City.

At Columbia, he was recognised as the best among 16 international students and one of the top students in a class of 160.

Although Agbese initially considered a career in book publishing, his path remained in journalism, where he co-founded Newswatch in 1985 with the late Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, and Yakubu Mohammed.

Over his career, Agbese became one of Nigeria’s most prolific authors, contributing extensively to journalism and literature while maintaining a reputation for integrity and intellectual rigour.