NAN Aso Rock Reporter Peter Onwubuariri Dies After Prolonged Illness
Nigeria’s journalism community is mourning the death of veteran reporter Peter Onwubuariri, a familiar face at the Presidential Villa who spent more than a decade covering the nation’s most powerful office.
Onwubuariri, Assistant Director, Media, at the Villa and former North American Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), died after a prolonged illness.
He was posted to the Presidential Villa in 2014 and served across three administrations — Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu — reporting on the decisions, personalities and events that shaped the country.
His death has prompted an outpouring of condolences, with President Tinubu describing it as a painful loss to the Presidency, NAN, the media community and the nation.
A journalist with experience across foreign affairs, politics, telecommunications and finance, Onwubuariri was known for his professional judgment and deep understanding of the often-complicated relationship between government and the media.
Before moving to the Villa, he rose through the ranks at NAN to become an Assistant Editor-in-Chief, playing a key role in the agency’s editorial operations.
President Tinubu praised his dedication, professionalism and commitment to duty, saying his service under three successive administrations demonstrated his competence and loyalty to the nation.
The President expressed condolences to Onwubuariri’s wife, Catherine, their three children, his extended family, colleagues and friends.
He prayed for strength for the bereaved family and eternal rest for the deceased.
For the journalists who shared the Villa beat with him, Onwubuariri’s death closes the chapter on a career defined by years of steady reporting from the centre of power — and leaves behind a newsroom colleague whose byline became part of Nigeria’s political record.
