By Joke Kujenya
SHOCKWAVES RIPPLED through Nigeria’s media and cultural circles following the passing of Evelyn Osagie, Assistant Editor (Arts) of The Nation Newspaper, who died in the early hours of Sunday, August 17, 2025, at the Catholic Ancillia Hospital in Fagba, Lagos.
She was 50.
Colleagues first learnt of her death through messages on The Nation newsroom WhatsApp chat platform posted by Fredrick Adegboye: “Just learned that Evelyn Osagie passed on this morning. So sad.”
Expressions of disbelief and grief followed swiftly.
Bolaji Ogundele, Aso Rock Correspondent of the newspaper was the first to ask: “Oh dear! What happened? Was she sick?”
Muyiwa Lucas responded with a single word: “JESUSSSSSSS!” while Collins Nweze wrote: “This is a big shock. May God grant her soul eternal rest.”
And Yomi Odunuga, upon hearing the news, questioned: “Which Evelyn?” before recalling: “We still spoke on Tuesday, Wednesday and even on Thursday. Was she sick? What happened?”
Then, her immediate boss, Ozolua Uhakheme, later confirmed: “I just learnt of the passing on of Evelyn Osagie. She died at the Catholic Ancillia Hospital at Fagba, Lagos, today by 5.00am, according to the younger sister who took her to the hospital yesterday,” he had provided a brief detail.
The confirmation deepened the shock across newsrooms and professional networks.
Messages of grief continued to pour in.
Among the many stunned reactions was that of Yinka Oyegbile, who wrote: “Evelyn? This is unbelievable. May her soul rest in peace. Such a painful loss to the profession.”
With disbelief still sweeping across Nigeria’s media community, these voices painted a picture of the widespread mourning that greeted the news of Evelyn Osagie’s sudden death.
Mrs. Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie lamented: “Precious Jesus. Shocking. May her family be comforted.”
Medinat Kanabe exclaimed: “Oh my God! What happened to her! Khai! May her soul rest in peace oooo.”
Lekan Otufodunrin added: “Shocking to read about her death. She gave all to her job and passion for arts. May her soul rest in peace.”
Another colleague, Precious Igbonwelundu, described her as “a very talented and passionate journalist/artist.”
“Multi-talented with a special passion for journalism, photography and poetry,” she said in her brief tribute.
Joke Kujenya, who had earlier called Evelyn’s younger sister, Patience Osagie, then narrated in the platform as she was informed that “Evelyn had been battling complications from advanced kidney failures,” as her doctors purportedly initially hinted.
According to Patience, Evelyn began experiencing severe pains and disclosed last week that she had been vomiting and stooling excessively.
Her younger sister said she quickly rushed her to the hospital on Friday, where doctors expressed uncertainty over her condition, describing it as complicated.
Plans were being made to refer her to a teaching hospital, but she died at about 5.00am on Sunday. Their mother survives her, while their father is late, Patience had said.
More tributes highlighted her impact within the newsroom and beyond.
The Meet: Joke and Evelyn
Evelyn Osagie first met former Nation journalist Joke Kujenya during her undergraduate years at the UNIBEN where the latter had gone to introduce her mentoring project around 2003/2004.
The encounter blossomed into a bond that would later transcend the newsroom, with both women describing their relationship as that of mother and daughter as well as professional allies.
Their connection, forged in those formative academic years, grew stronger when Evelyn joined The Nation in 2008, where their shared passion for journalism and the arts cemented a lifelong friendship and mentorship and they remain connected calling each other till weeks ago in 2025.
NAWOJ In Schock
The National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) acknowledged her passing on its WhatsApp platform, where colleague Busola Odugbesan simply wrote: “Rest on Evelyn Osagie.”
Veteran journalist Yinka Sokunbi asked: “Is this some joke or something? Evelyn????? How? When? What happened?”
Another senior journalist, Stella Sawyer noted: “May Evelyn’s soul rest in perfect peace. She was a great journalist.”
The Journalist, Writer and Poet
Evelyn Osagie’s career spanned nearly two decades.
She joined The Nation in 2008 and rose to become Assistant Editor (Arts), a role in which she nurtured deep connections with Nigeria’s cultural and literary community.
She also hosted “Chat With Evelyn” and brought unique flair to events such as World Poetry Day in honour of Wole Soyinka and the 2017 commemorative event for writer Buchi Emecheta at Terra Kulture.
She frequently performed poetry at major cultural gatherings, including at Angels and Muse in Lagos in 2023.
Colleagues recalled her tireless dedication.
She was often present at cultural festivals and artistic gatherings, from Iragbiji to the Osun Festival, and at the home of artist Susanne Wenger in 2009.
Her consistency and passion for the arts were widely admired.
Evelyn’s excellence got recognised in 2015 when she won the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) Beatrice Bassey Prize for Female Reporter of the Year.
Her short story “Big Brother of Zone Four” was billed to appear in the forthcoming anthology Moonbeam, which showcases works by Nigeria’s foremost culture journalists.
Beyond reporting, Evelyn was deeply involved in acting, advocacy and storytelling.
SYNW Mourn
To her memory, the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW), in a statement signed by its President, Wole Adedoyin, described her passing as “a huge loss to Nigeria’s literary and cultural community.”
The group highlighted her commitment to amplifying artistic voices, women’s rights, children’s welfare, and mental health awareness.
SYNW stated that her journalism combined reportage with advocacy, driving public conversations and inspiring action.
Evelyn Osagie was born in Lagos where she nurtured a lifelong passion for journalism, poetry, photography, and the arts.
She studied English Language and Literature at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), where she graduated in 2004.
She was mentored by literary icons including the late Professors JP Clark and Ebun Clark and developed a distinctive style she termed “experiential poetry,” blending journalistic detail with poetic imagery.
At one time, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka also endorsed her work, a recognition that boosted her profile as a poet-performer.
She admired and drew inspiration from writers such as her mentor at The Nation Newspaper, Sam Omatseye, a notable poet, Odia Ofeimun, and several others.
Among her notable human-interest works was her long-running documentation of Indian Ayuba, a young girl with a mentally challenged mother.
Beginning in 2009, Evelyn chronicled the girl’s journey with deep empathy, highlighting resilience under challenging circumstances.
She frequently extended her reporting platforms to NGOs, civil society groups, and human rights campaigns.
With her sudden exit on Sunday, she leaves behind a legacy of journalism intertwined with advocacy, artistry, and cultural passion.
Collectively, colleagues noted she stood out as a journalist who gave voice to others while living as a journalist and an artist in her own right with her words, photographs, and performances that will continue to echo in Nigeria’s media, literary and cultural landscape.
