Babatunde Jose

AlhajiIsmail Babatunde Jose OFR (born in Lagos on 13 December 1925, died 2 August 2008) 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 was born to the family of Hamzat and Hajarat Jose, his father was a trader, originally from Ikare in Ondo State, who had moved to Lagos, his mother was of Nupe ancestry. His paternal grand father was Braimoh Jose, once the Seriki Musulmi of Calabar. Babatunde Jose received his education at Lagos Government School, Yaba, Lagos, Methodist school, Yaba and St Saviour's College.

Jose started his career at Nnamdi Azikiwe's Daily Comet, before becoming a trainee at the Daily Times in 1941 at the age of 16. He was transferred to editorial department as a junior reporter in 1946 and then worked as a Times correspondent in the Eastern region and Northern region. In 1947, the Daily Mirror group bought majority shares in Daily Times. From 1948 to 1950, he was political and industrial correspondent of the Times and in 1950, he became the news editor. He worked for several papers (including the Daily Mirror in Fleet Street in London for a year in 1951), then returned to the Daily Times where he was made the assistant editor in 1952. On December 13, 1957, he was appointed the editor before becoming a board member in September 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.

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