Chief Uchenna Cyril Anioke, Ph.D., from Enugu State, Nigeria, has been re-elected to the Executive Committee of the International Publishers Association (IPA), the world’s largest federation of publishers, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. His new three-year term begins in January 2026.
The IPA, which represents 105 member organisations across 84 countries, conducted its 2025 elections online between November 7 and 21. The results were formally announced on November 25, 2025, during the association’s General Assembly by its Secretary General, José Borghino. Dr. Anioke first secured his seat on the Executive Committee in 2022.
Reacting to the announcement in an interview with Freedom Square TV, Dr. Anioke described his re-election as a renewed mandate to serve:
“It is a call again to duty. A call again to represent my state, Enugu State, my country, Nigeria and my continent, Africa at the global stage for the next three years beginning in January, 2026.
With God on my side, I will remain an uncommon literary and cultural ambassador of Enugu State, Nigeria and Africa. I will continue with my international colleagues to oppose censorship. I will also vigorously promote copyrights and freedom to publish.”
The 2025 General Assembly also recorded other significant developments. Two new provisional members—Georgian Book Association (GBA) and Latvian Publishers Association (LPA)—were admitted, while the Bulgarian Book Association (BBA) transitioned to full membership.
In the Executive Committee elections, Helga Frese-Resch (Germany), Karen Phillips (United Kingdom), and Chunchi Yu (China) secured statutory seats representing their national associations. Four candidates emerged successful for the open Director seats:
- Ana Baijars (Finland)
- Dante Cid (Brazil)
- Sheikh Faisal Bin Sheikh Mansor (Malaysia)
- Uchenna Cyril Anioke (Nigeria)
For the Freedom to Publish Committee, the elected members were:
- Roberto Banchik (Mexico)
- Jessica Saenger (Germany)
- Jacob Sondergaard (Denmark)
- Yoshiaki Yoshino (Japan)
On the Membership Committee, the following candidates won the five open seats:
- Catherine Blache (France)
- Samuel Kolawole (Nigeria)
- Giulia Marangoni (Italy)
- Ramesh Mittal (India)
- Karine Pansa (Brazil)
In his message summarising the election outcome, IPA Secretary General José Borghino thanked all members for their participation and support.
Founded in 1896, the IPA works closely with international bodies such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and global NGOs to defend copyright, promote literacy, protect freedom to publish—including through the IPA Prix Voltaire—and advance publishing as a driver of cultural, social, and economic development.
Dr. Anioke’s re-election places Enugu State and Nigeria once again at the centre of global conversations shaping the future of publishing.
