Veteran journalist Dele Cole dies at 86

Veteran journalist and diplomat Ambassador Dele Cole has died at the age of 86.

Cole reportedly passed away on the morning of Saturday, 17 October 2026, according to family sources.

He was a former managing director of the Daily Times, one of Nigeria’s leading newspaper organisations. He later served the country as ambassador to Argentina and Brazil.

Born on August 4, 1940, in Abonnema, in the Kalabari Kingdom of present-day Rivers State, Cole had a long academic journey that took him to institutions in Nigeria, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

He began his early education at St Bartholomew’s School in Enugu, where he studied from 1946 to 1953. He later attended Baptist High School in Port Harcourt between 1954 and 1958 before proceeding to Ibadan Grammar School, where he studied from 1959 to 1960.

In 1962, Cole travelled to New Zealand to further his education at the University of Otago in Dunedin, where he remained until 1965.

He continued his studies at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom from 1966 to 1970. He subsequently became a fellow of King’s College, Cambridge, from 1970 to 1973 and earned a doctorate in history.

Cole’s career in the media included his appointment as a non-executive director of the Daily Times in 1975. He later rose to become the newspaper’s managing director, helping to establish his reputation in Nigeria’s journalism industry.

Beyond journalism, he also played a role in public service and international relations. Between 1999 and 2007, he served as Special Adviser on International Relations to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

His diplomatic career also saw him represent Nigeria as ambassador to Brazil and Argentina, strengthening his involvement in the country’s foreign relations.

Cole was also active in politics during the 1990s, when he was associated with the Social Democratic Party (SDP).