Abuja – The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria announced on Friday that it will endow an annual prize at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) to perpetuate the memory of its late Treasurer, Rafat Idris Salami. The decision was confirmed by IPI Nigeria President Musikilu Mojeed during the opening ceremony of the 2025 IPI Nigeria Conference and Annual General Meeting held on December 2, 2025 in the capital city.
Salami, who served as Assistant Director of Digital Media at the Voice of Nigeria (VON), died on December 20, 2024, just days after she participated actively in the first annual conference and AGM of IPI Nigeria despite being ill. In his welcome address at the second annual conference, Mojeed asked members and guests—including Vice President Kashim Shettima and Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris—to observe a one‑minute silence in her honour.
“Last year, even in severe pain and confined to a wheelchair, she insisted on attending the conference. She greeted guests, coordinated logistics, took photographs with her phone and served with grace until her body could no longer carry her,” Mojeed said. “Her commitment was a reminder that journalism is not merely a job; it is a calling. It demands sacrifice; it demands conviction.”
He added: “To honour her legacy, the National Committee of IPI Nigeria will endow a prize in her name at the University of Abuja, which was her alma‑mater. We will work with the University to ensure that every year, young journalists are inspired by the values Rafat lived by—integrity, courage, and selfless service.”
Salami began her career at VON as a news editor and correspondent in Lagos, rising to become the Assistant Director in charge of Digital Media before her death. Her passing was eulogised by IPI Nigeria, the Federal Capital Territory Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists—where she served as Secretary—her employer VON, and numerous colleagues.
The prize, to be administered by the University of Abuja, aims to recognise and encourage students who embody the same dedication, ethical standards and service to the profession that Salami exemplified. The announcement was met with applause from conference participants, who praised the initiative as a fitting tribute to a journalist who gave her life to the profession.
