IPC reacts as its Executive Director joins IFEX global council

The Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Lanre Arogundade, has been elected to the 2026–2029 Council of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, the global network of organisations dedicated to defending freedom of expression and access to information.

Arogundade was elected alongside 12 other media freedom and human rights leaders following the conclusion of IFEX’s governance process at a reconvened Annual Meeting in July.

The IFEX Secretariat announced the outcome after the network’s Annual and General Meetings on June 25, 2026, during which members reviewed the 2025 financial statements, approved auditors for the 2026 financial year, adopted amendments to IFEX By-Law No. 1 and completed the Council election process.

Confirming the development, the International Press Centre described the election as a fitting recognition of Arogundade’s sustained contributions to advancing press freedom in Nigeria, Africa and the wider global media community.

As IPC Executive Director, Arogundade has spearheaded several strategic interventions aimed at strengthening journalism, protecting media professionals and promoting credible information in the digital age.

Among the flagship initiatives under his leadership are the iVerify Project, which supports fact-checking and information integrity, and the Centre for the Safety and Protection of Journalists (CSPJ), established to improve the safety, security and welfare of journalists amid rising threats against media practitioners.

IPC said Arogundade’s election to the IFEX Council comes at a time when attacks on journalists, censorship and restrictions on freedom of expression continue to pose serious challenges in many countries, making stronger global collaboration increasingly important.

According to the Organisation, the new international responsibility will amplify Nigeria’s voice in global conversations on media freedom while providing a stronger platform to advocate for the protection of journalists, media independence and access to information.

The Centre expressed confidence that Arogundade’s experience, built over several decades of media rights advocacy, would enrich the work of the IFEX Council and deepen collaboration between IPC and one of the world’s leading networks promoting freedom of expression.

IPC added that the election is not only a personal achievement for its Executive Director but also a significant milestone for Nigeria’s media sector and the broader African journalism community.

“His election to the IFEX Council further amplifies Nigeria’s voice in the global movement for freedom of expression and will undoubtedly contribute to advancing the cause of press freedom worldwide,” the organisation said.

The Centre congratulated Arogundade on the international honour, expressing optimism that his new role would help advance stronger protections for journalists, reinforce democratic values and expand global support for press freedom.

Reacting to his election, Arogundade described it as recognition of both his leadership and the work of the International Press Centre.

“This is an honour for IPC as an institution, given that IFEX represents 115 member organisations worldwide in addition to its secretariat.

“About 130 members voted in the election for the 13-member council.

“We reached out to organisations across the world to share our work, and this outcome shows the support we received,” he said.

The newly constituted IFEX Council comprises representatives of organisations from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the Caribbean working on press freedom, digital rights and freedom of expression.

The other elected members are Sana Ali of the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF); Shireen Al-Khatib of the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA); Yara Bader of the Syrian Center for Media and Free Expression (SCM); Layal Bahnam of Maharat Foundation; Nighat Dad of the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF); Ashnah Kalemera of the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA); Leticia Kleim of the Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI); Ruth Kronenberg of Free Press Unlimited (FPU); Ayaa Irene Lokang of the Association for Media and Development in South Sudan (AMDISS); Kiran Maharaj of the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA); Babette Ngene of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF); and Ahmad Quraishi of the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC).

IFEX also announced that it has joined the Advisory Network of the Freedom Online Coalition, complementing its participation in the Media Freedom Coalition’s Consultative Network, a move expected to create additional opportunities for members to contribute to global policy discussions on freedom of expression and digital rights.

The network further disclosed that it has adopted a new membership strategy approved by the previous Council, with limited membership applications expected to reopen in the fall of 2026.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖