Tributes have continued to pour in for veteran journalist and Publisher of Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, following his sudden death at the age of 56.
Oladipo, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Premium Eagle Media Limited, died in Lagos on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, according to colleagues and professional associations.
News of his death has sparked an outpouring of grief across Nigeria’s media and political communities, with colleagues describing him as a consummate journalist, gentleman and dedicated professional.
President Bola Tinubu expressed sadness over the death, describing Oladipo’s passing as a painful loss to the media industry and the nation.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said Oladipo devoted a significant part of his life to informing Nigerians and contributing to the country’s democratic development.
The President commended his contributions to political journalism and the growth of digital media in Nigeria, saying his commitment to informing citizens and promoting public discourse would not be forgotten.
“Dotun Oladipo’s death at the age of 56 is a painful loss to the Nigerian media community and to our nation,” Tinubu said.
He extended his condolences to Oladipo’s family, colleagues in the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and friends, praying for strength for those mourning him.
The President of GOCOP, Danlami Nmodu, also announced Oladipo’s death to members of the guild, describing him as an Emeritus President of the organisation.
“It has just been confirmed that Emeritus President, Mr Dotun Oladipo, died today. May his soul rest in peace. Amen,” Nmodu wrote.
The General Secretary of the Innovative Media Partners Cooperative Multipurpose Society, Nkanu Egbe, described Oladipo’s death as a devastating loss to the organisation and Nigerian journalism.
Egbe said the late journalist led the cooperative with dedication while building a distinguished career spanning nearly three decades.
Political activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, described Oladipo as a “complete gentleman, accomplished digital journalist and remarkable human being.”
“Dotun Oladipo has passed away. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and the entire community of digital journalists in Nigeria,” Sowore wrote on Facebook.
A spokesperson to former President Muhammadu Buhari also mourned Oladipo, describing him as a decades-long friend whose commitment to journalism had few parallels.
“Today, I am mourning the sudden death of my decades-long friend, Dotun Oladipo, publisher of Nigeria’s largest and most authoritative online newspaper, The Eagleonline,” the spokesperson wrote on X.
Oladipo was in his usual state of health earlier on Tuesday before reportedly taking ill at his office, according to a report by Eagle Online announcing his death.
The late journalist had a career spanning nearly three decades. He served as Politics Editor and later as a member of the editorial board of The PUNCH, before working with Nigerian Tribune, Nigerian Compass and The Sun.
He later founded Eagle Online, establishing himself as one of the notable figures in Nigeria’s digital journalism landscape.
Oladipo obtained a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta, in 1992.
As tributes continue to come in, colleagues and associates have remembered him as a thorough professional and humble personality whose contributions to Nigerian journalism left a lasting mark.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family at a later date.
