Tributes for The Guardian ex-COO, late Alex Thomopulos at 78

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 31 December 2025 7:30am WAT

Share :

Late Alex Thomopulos

Late Alex Thomopulos

Tributes have continued to pour in for the late Dr Alexander Aristotelis Thomopulos, former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of The Guardian Newspapers, following the announcement of his passing by the family.

Lady Maiden Ibru, Chairman/Publisher of The Guardian and younger sister to Thomopulos, his cousin, Mr Toke Alex-Ibru, the CEO, Thomopulos’ daughter, friends and former associates mourn his passing and relive his life and times.

Thomopulous, 78, passed on Monday, December 22, 2025, at a Lagos private hospital, into which he had been admitted following an illness. A United States-trained technocrat and environmental scientist, he was the newspaper’s COO from April 2010 to June 2016, a period that witnessed a lot of structural consolidations in the post-founder Alex Ibru era.

Thomopulos, who joined The Guardian from Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island in Lagos, brought in remarkable administrative and visionary experience that turned the newspaper around and prepared it for digital and energy transformation.

Dr Alex Thomopulos was also a non-executive director on the board of Ikeja Hotels Plc.   He was an astute corporate leader and environmental advocate who won awards at events for environmental crusaders. While in active service, Thomopulos maintained a high standard of philanthropy, a lot of which he demonstrated as part of the activities of the Rotary Club of Lagos, Palmgrove Estate, of which Thomopulos was a past president and a pillar behind free eye surgeries and other community projects, in collaboration with the Indo Eye Care Foundation.

In his later years, the late Thomopulos was active on the Editorial Board of The Guardian, meetings of which he attended religiously, even when he battled ill-health. Many members of the board have been paying tributes to him and condolences to his family.

In an ann-ouncement by The Guardian management, the newspaper noted that Dr Thomopulos served the company with dedication, integrity, and exceptional leadership and his contribution to the growth and success of the organisation was invaluable and will be remembered with profound respect and gratitude.

“Management extends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Further details regarding funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.”

Chairman of the Editorial Board, Professor Wale Omole, expressed sadness at his death. He described his advent into The Guardian as “a God-given appointment which came at a difficult time, when the founder of the newspaper, Mr Alex Ibru, was abroad.” He observed that “Dr Thomopulos did his best, and he was consistent all through. We will surely miss him.”

Mr Kunle Sanyaolu, the Editorial Page Editor, observed that Dr Alex Thomopulos has joined his ancestors at the age of 78. “We fondly remember him for many things. He was a disciplinarian and an astute administrator with an eye for detail. This, he demonstrated when he was Chief Operating Officer (COO) of The Guardian, many years ago. He made it a duty to interact with associates no matter the level, and he would be remembered for personally giving a Reporter money, as encouragement for using his phone to capture a news event published in the newspaper. He was a philanthropist with a great deal of humanness, and he was very witty; not one to miss a chance to put a smile or laughter on somebody at every opportunity.

“On this board, many of us will remember his interjections of the proceedings with short, concise comments that struck at the heart of the topic being discussed. And he was consistent on this even when he was obviously contending with serious health challenges. I do not doubt that his death marks the demise of an important part of The Guardian newspaper. He would also be remembered for introducing the word “Associate” to replace the common description “staffer” to describe workers at the newspaper. May Almighty God grant him eternal rest and strengthen Madam Chairman, his other siblings, daughter and all family members with the fortitude to bear his irreplaceable loss. RIP Dr. Thomopulos”

Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi wrote: “Eternal Rest grant him O Lord and let Perpetual light shine upon him. He was a good man. A good companion whose company I came to appreciate.”

Former MD/Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Mr Martins Oloja, also sent a message: “Good Night, Dr Alex Thomopulos. May his soul rest in perfect peace. I would like to condole with the chief mourner, Madam Chairman and Publisher, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru. When the history of The Guardian (Nigeria) in the first 40 years comes to be written, the name of the late Dr Thomopulos will not be forgotten. In Nigeria, it isn’t a mourning time. It is a celebration of life @78… Sleep well, Dr. AA.”

Dr Kabir Alabi Garba, Editor of the Weekend Guardian, wrote: “May his soul rest in peace. May the Almighty uphold the family, both the nucleus and the extended, including us in The Guardian. Adieu Dr. Thomopulos!

Mr Francis Onaiyekan, a member of the Editorial Board, expressed his condolences to both the Thomopulos and the Ibru families. “Dr. has moved on to a higher and a better place of bliss than here below”, he stated, wishing the families “strength and peace.”

Mr Alabi Williams also offered condolences and prayers for the families, while Mr Felix Kuye wrote: “May God grant him peaceful rest. Good night, good man.”

Mr Francis Abayomi similarly offered condolences and prayed that his soul rest in peace. Mr Sonnie Ekwowusi observed that Thomopulos’ death marks another depletion of the finest pearls on the (Editorial) Board. “You can say it again and again: he was simplicity personified. A very unassuming gentleman. One of his outstanding qualities on the Board is kindness and concern for others. I remember when Jacob Akindele was very sick, he took it upon himself to visit Jacob and even footed some of his medical bills before the Board officially visited. He would be missed on the Board with his sarcasm and great sense of humour. Condolences especially to the Publisher, the chief mourner on the Board, his family and all of us. We have indeed lost a gem.”

An associate who worked closely with Dr Thomopulos for 12 years described him as “an excellent manager”, strong in discipline and character, and who believed that Nigerians would rather take discipline for wickedness because they don’t want to change their character. He noted that while many people easily misunderstood Thomopulos for being too hard, he was actually humane in many respects

He recalled a gift of N100,000 in 2021 by Dr Thomopulos in aid of the associate’s wife, who was then ill. “He (Thomopulos) urged me to do my best to take care of her. This was a time I had already resigned from my job and had no connection with The Guardian. I also remember how helpless you felt when I resigned”, he recalled, wishing him peace in death.

He added: “Your sense of cleanliness, forthrightness, discipline and humour is unmatched.” Among others who sent condolences to the family are Prof. Ndubuisi Nwokoma and Prof. Sylvester Odion-Akhaine. They prayed for the repose of his soul.

Tags: