IPC’s Arogundade elected to IFEX global council

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The Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Mr 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.

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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, NDR reported Thursday.

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The IFEX Secretariat announced the outcome after the network’s Annual and General Meetings on June 25, 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.

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Welcoming the newly elected Council, the Secretariat thanked members who participated in the elections and acknowledged all candidates who contested.

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“We would like to thank everyone who submitted their candidacy. Your willingness to engage in IFEX’s governance is commendable and should not go unrecognised,” the Secretariat said.

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The Secretariat also paid tribute to the outgoing Council for steering the organisation through global challenges while maintaining its commitment to defending freedom of expression and access to information.

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According to the report, Arogundade’s election comes after more than three decades of work in press freedom advocacy, media development and democratic governance.

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As Executive Director of IPC, he has “led initiatives aimed at strengthening independent journalism, promoting ethical media practice and enhancing journalists’ capacity to report on governance, elections, human rights and development issues.”

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

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

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

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

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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