By Ousman A. Marong
The First Lady of The Gambia, Her Excellency Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, has honored prominent Gambian journalist Nyima Sillah with the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” Media Recognition Award 2024, at a presentation held on Monday, at the State House in Banjul.
Nyima Sillah secured the second place in the Online Media Category for West Africa in recognition of her outstanding contribution to raising awareness through journalism on critical social issues. Her reporting has focused on breaking the stigma surrounding infertility, promoting girls’ education, empowering women and girls, ending child marriage, combating female genital mutilation (FGM), and advocating for an end to gender-based violence.
Nyima, who currently works with Malagen, has received several awards for her outstanding work at both local and international levels. She is a two-time winner of the “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” Media Recognition Award, recognized in 2024 and 2025 for her reporting on social issues in communities.
The ceremony was graced by veteran journalist Pap Saine, Publisher and Managing Editor of
The Point newspaper, and members of the Fatoumatta Bah Barrow Foundation (FaBB).
Among those also recognized were Isatou Ceesay of The Point, who won third place in the
Online Media Category, Alieu Ceesay of QTV, who secured second place in the Multimedia Category, and freelance journalist Muhammed Lamin Touray, who took the first position.
Reacting to the award, Nyima expressed gratitude to the First Lady and the Merck
Foundation for the recognition. She said: “I am deeply honored to receive this prestigious award. I sincerely thank Her Excellency the First Lady of The Gambia, Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, for presenting me with this honor, and I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Merck Foundation for recognizing my work. This recognition is not only a personal achievement but also a proud moment for The Gambia.”
She dedicated this award to the country, especially to the women in the media whose dedication, resilience and commitment continue to strengthen journalism.
“I hope this recognition inspires more journalists, particularly women, to continue telling stories that give a voice to the voiceless and contribute to positive change in our society,” she concluded.
