The family of veteran journalist and media entrepreneur Dotun Oladipo, publisher of The Eagle Online, has announced funeral arrangements, with burial set to take place on Friday, September 11, 2026.
According to a statement by Kemi Yesufu, Publicity Secretary of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), funeral activities will begin a day earlier with a service of songs at DayStar Church, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, September 10. The burial service will hold at the same venue the following day, September 11, followed by interment.
Oladipo, 56, died suddenly on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, after falling ill at his office in Lagos. According to multiple reports, he had appeared to be in good health earlier that day, having gone to the gym with his wife before proceeding to work as usual. He reportedly drove himself to a hospital after taking ill but died shortly after, in what was suspected to be a heart attack.
Oladipo was a former Political Editor at PUNCH Newspapers and had earlier worked with Nigerian Tribune, Nigerian Compass and The Sun before founding Premium Eagle Media Limited, publishers of The Eagle Online. He obtained a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta, in 1992.
He served as President of GOCOP from 2017 to 2021 and was among the foundational members who helped shape the guild during its formative years. Current GOCOP President, Danlami Nmodu, described Oladipo’s death as a painful loss to the guild, noting his understanding of journalism and the business of publishing, and his passion for the growth of online media in Nigeria.
Oladipo was also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, and had served as President of the Innovative Media Partners Cooperative Multipurpose Society (IMPCMS), which described his death as a devastating loss to Nigerian journalism.
President Bola Tinubu, in a condolence statement issued through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Oladipo’s death as “a painful loss to the Nigerian media community and to our nation,” praising his contribution to political journalism and the growth of digital media through The Eagle Online.
Oladipo is survived by his wife, children and other family members.
