Dr. Patrick Dele Cole, a distinguished Nigerian diplomat, journalist, historian and elder statesman, has died in London at the age of 86.
Alhough detail of his death has not been announced by the family, he was reported to have been receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment at a London hospital.
Born on August 4, 1940, Cole made significant contributions to diplomacy, journalism, historical scholarship and national development.
He celebrated his 86th birthday in August 2026.
Dele-Cole was a Nigerian politician, journalist, historian and diplomat who in 1976 became the managing director of the Daily Times. He was also a presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the early 1990s and was Nigeria’s ambassador to Argentina and Brazil.
Dele-Cole was the author of the book Modern Traditional Elites in the Politics of Lagos.
Dele-Cole attended the University of Otago, New Zealand, where he earned a first class honours degree. He also studied at Cambridge University.
As a managing director of the Daily Times in 1976 he restored the paper’s former influence to become one of Africa’s largest at that time, and brought in influential journalists, including Dele Giwa and Dr. Stanley Macebuh.
