Babatunde Jose

Who was Babatunde Jose?

Alhaji Ismail Babatunde Jose OFR was a Nigerian journalist and newspaper editor. He was described by The Guardian as the "legendary doyen of Nigerian journalism" and as "one of Nigeria's most significant media figures"; by The Independent as the "newspaper editor who dominated journalism in Nigeria for three decades" and as "the mighty tree whose seedlings sprouted other titans of the profession"; and by the British Broadcasting Corporation as "the grandfather of Nigerian journalism".

Jose's father was a trader, originally from Ikare in Ondo State, who had moved to Lagos. Babatunde Jose received his education at Yaba Methodist school and St Saviour's College, then began his career in journalism. He worked briefly for the Daily Comet, then became a trainee at the Daily Times in 1941, aged 16. He worked for several papers, then returned to the Daily Times and became editor in 1957, then a board member in 1958. Nigeria became independent in 1960, and Jose benefited from a policy of Africanisation: he "was appointed the company's first African managing director in 1962, becoming chairman as well in 1968". Over the following years, the Daily Times became Nigeria's best-selling newspaper. In 1965, he was awarded the title Officer of the Federal Republic.