Paddy Ezeala, Editorial Board Chairman of the Daily Times, Passes On
By Tunde Opalana
Mr. Patrick Nnadozie Ezeala—widely known as Paddy Ezeala—has passed away. He died on July 18, 2025, at the age of 60.
Until his death, Mr. Ezeala was the Chairman of the Editorial Board of Daily Times, Nigeria’s oldest newspaper. Born on March 17, 1965, he distinguished himself as a multilingual communications expert, development strategist, conservationist, and respected public intellectual.
Throughout a remarkable career spanning over four decades, Ezeala made outstanding contributions in communication for development, environmental advocacy, sustainable development, and media leadership. He was instrumental in designing and implementing communication strategies for several leading organisations across Africa.
He held key positions including Press Officer at the National Park Service, Communications Manager at the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), General Manager at Daily Times, Africa Communication Officer at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and West Africa Regional Communications Coordinator for Oxfam.
Mr. Ezeala was central to formulating WWF’s West Africa Regional Communication Strategy in Abidjan (1999), the West Africa Marine Eco-Region Communications Plan in Dakar (2002), and Oxfam’s Regional Communication Strategy in 2010. He also played a crucial role in mobilising support during the 2012 Sahel food crisis, organising a benefit concert in Senegal featuring Baaba Maal and other celebrated musicians.
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In January 2025, he convened a major symposium in Abuja under the auspices of Classmasters Limited, publishers of Development Agenda magazine, where he served as Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief. The forum brought together experts and stakeholders to call for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, with focus on refining the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to serve the broader public interest.
A top graduate in French from the University of Calabar (1990), Mr. Ezeala also earned a master’s degree in English and Literary Studies from the same institution. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and a Life Fellow of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation.
He served as a consultant to the Ford Foundation and UNICEF’s Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) initiative, bringing depth and clarity to issues around democracy, public health, and community development.
A man of deep Christian faith and boundless compassion, Ezeala was widely travelled, having participated in numerous global training programmes. He was an alumnus of the Leadership Communication programme at Harvard University, Division of Continuing Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Mr. . Paddy Ezeala was a man of vision, humility, and service. His pen, voice, and heart served the cause of humanity with grace and strength.
Live on, Paddy Ezeala.
