ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PASSING OF SIGL BOARD MEMBER, DR. VICTORIA OKOJIE

It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our board member, colleague, and dearest friend, Dr. Victoria Okojie.

Victoria dedicated her entire professional career to librarianship. With her energy and wisdom, she achieved outstanding successes for the library profession and the communities it serves—at the local, regional, and global levels.

Victoria’s career in librarianship began in 1984 at the University of Ibadan. In 1994, she joined the British Council and rose to the position of Director—the first Nigerian woman ever to hold that role. In 2009, Victoria joined the Nigerian federal government under the auspices of the Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria, where she assumed the position of Registrar and Executive Director of the Council. From 2000 to 2010, she served as president of the Nigerian Library Association. Victoria taught at the Institute of Library and Information Science at the University of Abuja and was appointed Provost of the Edo State College of Education in Igueben, Edo State, Nigeria, in 2025. – Through her lectures and numerous publications, she inspired generations of young librarians.

Victoria’s distinguished career includes key positions at renowned international institutions: From 2011 to 2015, she served as chair of the Africa Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and from 2015 to 2019, she was a member of the IFLA Governing Board. Starting in 2015, she served as a member of the International Advisory Committee for UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” program,and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Global Libraries Program” relied on her recommendations.

In 2021, Victoria became a member of the Stichting IFLA Global Libraries Foundation (SIGL). Her lifelong goal was to empower libraries to improve people’s lives and promote the growth of sustainable societies. As a board member and secretary of SIGL, Victoria devoted all her energy, wisdom, and passion to achieving these goals.

Victoria was not only an outstanding, forward-thinking, wise leader; she was also one of the warmest and most generous people we have ever known. We – and the global library field – will miss her terribly.

Glòria Pérez-Salmerón, SIGL Chair
Ágnes Hajdu Barát, SIGL Treasurer