Another founding pillar of Nigeria’s influential Newswatch magazine, Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed, has passed away, marking a fresh loss for the country’s media landscape. His death comes barely two months after the demise of fellow co-founder and respected journalist, Dan Agbese, who died on November 17, 2025.
Multiple sources confirmed Mohammed’s passing to The Eagle Online. The publication’s Managing Editor and Chief Executive Officer, Dotun Oladipo, is among journalists who worked closely with the late media executive during his years at Newswatch. As of the time this report was filed, the family had yet to release an official statement.
Mohammed was said to have battled illness for some time before his death. Notably, he had only recently celebrated a major personal milestone with the launch of his memoir, Beyond Expectations, on November 4, 2025—a book in which he reflected on his life, career, and contributions to journalism and public service.
Born on April 4, 1950, Yakubu Mohammed hailed from Ologba in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree and pursued an extensive academic journey that laid the foundation for his distinguished career. His early education began at St. Joseph’s Primary School, Ayangba, in 1964, followed by Government Secondary School, Okene, between 1965 and 1969. He later studied at the University of Lagos from 1972 to 1975 and furthered his education at the Glasgow College of Technology in Scotland between 1978 and 1979.
Mohammed’s journalism career spanned several decades and some of Nigeria’s most prominent media institutions. He started as an Associate Editor with New Nigerian Newspapers from 1976 to 1980 and briefly served as its Managing Editor in 1980. He later joined National Concord, where he rose from Deputy Editor (1980–1982) to Editor between 1982 and 1984.
In 1984, he became one of the co-founders and Executive Editors of Newswatch magazine, a publication that would go on to shape investigative journalism in Nigeria. He later served as Managing Editor of Newswatch from 1986 to 1994 and subsequently as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Newswatch Communications Limited from 1994 onward.
Beyond journalism, Mohammed was involved in the private sector as a director of Yadara Nigeria Limited and Lastop Limited. He was also an active member of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association (CJA), and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
His service to education and public life extended to academia, where he served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in Kaduna State.
Outside his professional commitments, Mohammed was known for his love of tennis, music, dancing, and movies—interests that reflected a balanced and vibrant personal life.
His passing marks the end of an era for Nigerian journalism, as colleagues, students, and admirers remember him for his intellect, leadership, and lasting contributions to the media and national development.
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