Babatunde Jose

Ismail Babatunde Jose was born on December 13, 1925, in Lagos. Joining the Daily Times in 1941 as a technical trainee and copy-carrier, his fierce work ethic, natural reporting instinct, and political acumen led to rapid promotion as a regional correspondent, editor, and eventually Chairman and Managing Director in 1962.

Under Jose's visionary direction, the Daily Times attained an astronomical daily circulation exceeding 500,000 copies, setting unprecedented benchmarks for editorial independence, modern photojournalism, and commercial viability. He established the Daily Times Training School, personally mentoring virtually every leading Nigerian editor and media proprietor of the late 20th century, earning the undisputed title of 'Doyen of Nigerian Journalism'.