Salim Yunusa is a Communication Strategist and freelance journalist. He founded Poetic Wednesdays Initiative, an organization that promotes literary activities in Northern Nigeria. He is the Kano International Poetry Festival (KAPFEST) curator and the event coordinator for the annual Hausa International Book and Arts Festival (HIBAF). He is a development advocate who’s interested in the development and promotion of Northern arts and culture.

He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a Master’s Degree in Conflict Management and Peace Studies.

He emerged among the Top 50 Outstanding Young People in Nigeria by JCI International in 2024. In 2023, he was among the 100 most influential young people in Nigeria by Entourage Magazine.

He was also awarded The Outstanding Literary Promoter in Northern Nigeria by the Yobe Literary Society in 2021. He was the recipient of the 30 under 30 Arewa Stars for Social Activism in Literature by PRNigeria & Daily Nigerian Newspapers. He was a guest at many Books and Arts festivals and performed his poems on many stages and platforms.

He is a Fellow of the Young Communications Fellowship by PRNigeria and was an Equal Access International Peace Promotion Fellow. He was also a Global Youth Ambassador for Theirworld. He is a program associate with PeacePanel Centre. He is also an iVolunteer Writing Fellow and a Fellow with Journalism for Liberty Fellowship. He is a two-time TEDx speaker, having spoken at TEDXPOMPOMARI in Yobe State and TEDx Baze University, Abuja.

He has been published in many print and online magazines. He was a finalist for Michael Afenfia and TVO Tribe competitions. He was shortlisted for the 2020 Aminiya Trust Hausa Short Story Competition. He is a Digital Rights Champion and one of the selected artists for the Freedom Vibes Academy program.

He was a judge for the Hamza Elrufai Prize of the Yasmin El-rufai Foundation in 2021. He was also the judge for the Intellectual Essay Competition, Students Intellectual Club, Yobe State University. He was a judge for poetry at the 2022 HIASFEST in Minna and judged the Afrikindness competition in May 2022. He facilitated a creative writing workshop for the Andrew Nok Poetry Prize 2022.

He is working on several manuscripts at the moment.