Former chairman of the editorial board of Vanguard Newspapers, Alhaji Kola Animashaun, has died at the age of 79.
An editor with the media organisation confirmed to Qed.ng that the veteran journalist and columnist died on Thursday morning.
“It’s true. He was a great man. He was unbelievably nice, the editor said.
Born on July 5, 1939, Alhaji Animashaun began his career in journalism in July 1961 when he joined The Express through the late Olabisi Onabanjo, the former governor of Ogun State who was then the editorial director of the Daily Express.
He left The Express on August 25, 1961, Animashaun left for London where he obtained a diploma certificate in journalism from London School of Journalism.
After he completed the diploma programme, he worked briefly with Cecil Dennis, the founder and publisher of the Liberian Listener.
He returned to Nigeria to join the Nigerian Tribune before joining Vanguard as a chief sub-editor before he rose to the position of chairman of the editorial board of the newspaper.
His autobiography, From 1939 to the Vanguard of Modern Journalism, was launched at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos in July 2012.
He will be buried on Thursday according to Islamic rites.
