OTTAWA, Canada — Leo Igwe, a Nigerian humanist and scholar of religion, has been elected Vice President of Humanists International, the global organisation representing humanists, atheists and agnostics.
The election took place during the organisation’s World Congress and General Assembly in Ottawa, Canada, held from August 7 to 9, 2026.
Igwe becomes the first Nigerian and the second African to hold the position. He succeeds Roslyn Mould, a Ghanaian humanist who previously served as Vice President.
Igwe’s Humanist Advocacy
Igwe is the director of Advocacy for Alleged Witches and the founder and chair of the Humanist Association of Nigeria.
He has been involved in Nigeria’s organised humanist movement for decades, advocating secular ethics, freedom of thought, human rights, critical thinking and evidence-based approaches to social problems.
His work has included campaigning against accusations of witchcraft and abuses associated with superstition, as well as opposing religious extremism and harmful religious practices directed at vulnerable people.
Humanists International was founded in 1952 and serves as an umbrella organisation for humanist groups and individuals around the world.
The organisation seeks to provide a global community for people who pursue ethical and responsible lives without religious belief or belief in a deity.
Igwe Sets Out Priorities
Following his election, Igwe said he intended to focus on religious nationalism and extremism while advancing humanist values internationally.
“As the Vice President I will relentlessly work to ensure that Humanists International effectively addresses the threat of religious nationalism and extremism and provides a robust alternative to dogmatic religions and supernatural faiths to all who subscribe to humanist values, ethics and cosmology around the globe.”
His election adds to the representation of African humanists within the leadership of the international organisation.
The World Humanist Congress in Ottawa brought together more than 500 delegates, according to Humanists International.
