The Catholic association for communication, SIGNIS, has renewed its leadership at both the African and global levels during the ongoing SIGNIS World Congress in Kigali, Rwanda.
The congress, taking place from 3 to 8 August 2026, has brought together more than 200 Catholic journalists, media professionals and communication experts from over 40 countries across five continents. It is the first SIGNIS World Congress to be hosted in Africa.
At the African level, Rev. Fr. Fidele Mutabazi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kigali, Rwanda, was elected the new President of SIGNIS Africa, succeeding Nigerian priest and academic Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika, who completed his two constitutional terms.
Rev. Fr. Fidele Mutabaz the new President of SIGNIS Africa
The new SIGNIS Africa leadership also includes Virginia Kabugu of Kenya as Vice President and Fr. Alexis Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso as Secretary/Treasurer. Other board members are Sr. Anastãncia Sebastãio Simbe FMA of Mozambique, Clarice Azuatalam of Nigeria, Kudakwashe Martin Matambo of Zimbabwe, and Mwami Daka of Zambia.
- Virginia Kabugu the Vice President
The new African board marks a historic milestone for SIGNIS, with women making up the majority of the board for the first time since the association’s establishment in 2001.
Speaking after his election, Fr. Mutabazi thanked the delegates for their confidence and called for continued support. He described the new leadership as unprecedented and representative of Africa’s geographical diversity and its three major working languages—English, French and Portuguese.
At the global level, Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika of Nigeria was elected President of SIGNIS World, the global Catholic association for communication.
Fr. Ihejirika, who previously served as President of SIGNIS Africa, now takes on the responsibility of leading the organization worldwide. His election is being seen as a significant achievement for both Nigeria and Africa, reflecting the growing contribution of African Catholic communicators to the global Church.
The new SIGNIS World leadership includes Pamela Aleman of SIGNIS USA–Canada and Magimai Pragasam of India as Vice Presidents, while Adriana Racasan of SIGNIS Europe was elected Treasurer.
The new international leadership is therefore:
- President: Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika — Nigeria
- Vice President: Pamela Aleman — SIGNIS USA–Canada
- Vice President: Magimai Pragasam — India
- Treasurer: Adriana Racasan — SIGNIS Europe
The leadership changes come as SIGNIS continues to strengthen its mission of promoting ethical, professional and faith-based communication through radio, television, film, journalism, digital media and other communication platforms.
Founded in 2001 through the merger of two Catholic media organizations, OCIC and Unda, SIGNIS brings together Catholic communicators from across the world in support of dialogue, human dignity and the proclamation of the Gospel.
The new African and global leadership teams are expected to build on this mission and strengthen collaboration among Catholic media professionals worldwide.