Dan Agbese of Newswatch Magazine: How Death Stings

By Chinedu Max Egere…

I had hopefully looked forward to seeing Dan Agbese, an elder and a mentor, at the annual conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Abuja that took place in November 12 and 13, 2025, and a few days after the event, the news of his death came as a shock.

The euphoria that arose from the conference that was trailed by a ‘gala night’ where an elder colleague, Chief ken Njoku, former General Manager of Imo Newspapers and currently the Coordinator of International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), South East zone, was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) had emotional hiccups following the news of the death of a co- founder of Newswatch Magazine.

Yes, Chief Ken Njoku’s new suffix to his name,’FNGE’ would always bring joy and pomp and we, Zanders Okeke, Chris Anucha, Eze Geo Anika, Oguwuike Nwachukwu, Ify Onyegbule and I, had posed in photographs at the venue with Chief Njoku in happiness over his induction, but what about the exit of Mr Agbese, the pivotal figure in Nigerian Journalism, known for his investigative reporting and impactful writing?

The new Fellows of the Guild include Arinze Azu; Casmir Igbokwe; Ephraims Token Sheyin; Dr Amanze Obi; Dr Suleiman Ya’u Sule and Chief ken Njoku. My sincere congratulations to all of them.

It has become significant that Chief Ken Njoku, an Imo based media professional, had gotten such an added privilege in my time as a member of the national executive council (Standing Committee) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). Thanks to all those who aided in this huge success. To God be the glory.

The last time I met Elder Dan Agbese was in Sokoto sometime in 2019. He was sitting beside his friend and his co-founder of Newswatch Magazine, Ray Ekpu, before he was called to the podium for a presentation at that year’s conference.

R-L: Sir Chinedu Max Egere in a pose years back with Elder Dan Agbese (now late)

His articles at the birth of Newswatch had tickled my fancy as a secondary school student then and thus added to my spur to the study of Mass Communication and engagement in journalism profession.

At the later years, as a newspaper editor in Imo, I had opted with enthusiasm to join the media icons in Newswatch Magazine and I would later get their letter of interview. On that premise, I travelled to Lagos and at the Newswatch office, I was given some cash to visit Ojota busy area and to come back to their office after some minutes. Interesting. I did.

On my return, I was taken to their newsroom and a paper was handed to me to put the report of my experience at that Ojota short visit. I also did.

A day after, I returned to my job at Owerri and was to do a follow-up visit to Newswatch office but a respected figure in the profession drew my attention with his words. Was it a good piece of advice or not?. I would not know.

The person had asked me if I would prefer being a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond. The rest became history.

Elder Dan Agbese had died at 81 on the 17th day of November, 2025. He had founded Newswatch alongside Dele Giwa of the blessed memory, Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed in 1984. The magazine no doubt, shaped the modern Nigeria media.

Interestingly, before his days at the Newswatch Magazine, he had edited Standard Newspapers, New Nigerian Newspapers and would later become the General Manager of Benue Radio.

He had authored some books among which include Fellow Nigerian; Nigeria, their Nigeria; The Reporters’ companion; The columnists’companion.

We miss the man who has been incarcerated several times in the course of writing the truth.

My respect for his personality and legacies cannot be intered with his body. How death stings.

Good night, creative writer.
Good night, great mentor.
Good night, inspirational professional.
Good night, Elder Dan Agbese.

Chinedu Max Egere
wrote from Owerri.