Humanism in Africa and Global South Leadership

How does Dr. Leo Igwe plan to strengthen humanism in Africa through practical services, free inquiry, and Global South leadership?

Dr. Leo Igwe is a Nigerian humanist and human rights advocate serving as vice president of Humanists International. He founded the Nigerian Humanist Movement and Advocacy for Alleged Witches. His work advances critical thinking, challenges witchcraft accusations, and promotes practical humanist services, equal dignity, and representation across the Global South.

In this interview, Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Dr. Leo Igwe discuss humanist leadership, Global South representation, and practical services across Africa. Igwe outlines priorities including healthcare, education, elder care, counseling, and chaplaincy while defending free inquiry, challenging religious coercion, and connecting humanist principles with community needs, international cooperation, and institutional development.

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Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today we’re here with the distinguished humanist Dr. Leo Igwe, the new vice president of Humanists International, previously a board member, founder of the Nigerian Humanist Movement, and founder of Advocacy for Alleged Witches. He’s a large personality on the stage for humanism in Africa. Dr. Igwe, what does this new VP position set in motion for you? What are some key areas that need to be emphasized? 

Humanists International has worked over the years to establish a more geographically diverse leadership group, a very important point. Now the next question is: we have representation, which is always important, but what about actionable items that are the next steps toward making humanism more established in a region?

Different regions have different issues, and different countries within those regions have different variations of the regional issues. Within an African context and within a context of integrating and coordinating global humanism, what do you see as the next steps through some of your advocacy as vice president of Humanists International?

Dr. Leo Igwe: Thank you, Scott. I’ve been on the board for six years now. And as a board member, one is always supporting the president.

And for me, being elected vice president is an honor. I’m humbled by it. But it’s a call to a higher duty to help the president deliver on her vision and strengthen Humanists International.

But coming from a region where we don’t have as many robust groups as we have in Europe and America is a challenge for me. Because, as they say, charity begins at home.

And I need to do some work to grow or support the formation of more humanist groups and strengthen those that exist. And more importantly, I need to give Humanists International value for their money and support. I believe that Humanists International was established mainly by groups in Europe and America.

And these groups have funded and supported Humanists International over the years. But we have not made significant progress in Africa, Asia, and most parts of the Global South. In those areas, we have fallen short.

We have not given supporters full value for their money, full value for their funding and the resources they have committed. Let me also take note of this: money is not the only kind of resource. There is also time and expertise. There are a lot of humanists out there doing some practical work and trying to support our movement.

My goal is this: I’m going to wake up early in the morning, and I’m going to sleep late at night, thinking about how, as vice president, I’m going to give international humanists value for their money by making sure that humanism blossoms in many parts of the Global South.

Jacobsen: How do you view the Global South now compared to when you first started work in humanism?

Igwe: When I started, I felt that humanists from the Global South had very little say. Humanists International, then called the International Humanist and Ethical Union, was dominated by people from the Global North, particularly Europeans and Americans.

And I felt that people from the Global South were passive. They did not have an equal seat at the table. But I think that those who have led over the years, especially when Andrew Copson was president, understood that this wasn’t right.

They worked to diversify the membership of the board. But it comes with other issues and responsibilities.

It means that we also have to make sure we have people from other parts of the Global South who are qualified, competent, and equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead the humanist movement at the highest level. I think that in the last couple of years, things have changed. Many parts of the Global South now have voices on the board.

But it’s not enough to have the faces there. We also want to make sure that those faces are faces of competence, faces of excellence, faces of effective delivery, and faces of distinguished representation of humanism, not only in the Global South but also throughout the world. Because while one might be from Nigeria or Africa, I think that, for me and for other people on the board, our representation is international.

I’m not vice president for African humanists. I’m vice president of Humanists International. I am there to see what I can do to enrich international humanism as I try to support the president in her goals and vision for leading Humanists International.

Jacobsen: On a personal level, what does earning this position mean to you? Roslyn Mould described, by her accounting in my conversations with her, a 12-year journey to one of the heights of institutional humanism. There’s a lot of humanist-oriented work that’s not institutional. How do you feel after more than a quarter century of work in these movements, having earned this position?

Igwe: First of all, I am lucky. I’ve put in so many years trying to grow, develop, and lead the humanist movement. And I know that something could have happened to me.

I’m lucky I’m alive, I’m still active, and I’m still ready to contribute my quota. I always have this feeling that we are all individuals. I’m not Roslyn Mould. I’m Leo Igwe.

My own path is different from Roslyn’s path. I am so humbled by the trust. I’m so humbled by the responsibility, and I’m going to work hard every day to see how I can use my many years of experience to enrich the movement and bring a unique touch.

I’m looking forward to drawing from the many years of experience I’ve had to contribute to shaping the face of the movement. And I’m also going to build on the successes and contributions of my friend Roslyn Mould, who distinguished herself in that role.

I’m so proud of what she did and all she contributed over the years. I know that it is not easy. It’s something that requires a lot of energy, talent, doggedness, determination, and brilliance. She was able to do that. She has definitely left very big shoes for me to fill.

I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to build on her work, contribute to it, and enrich it, because she has set a very high standard. I don’t want to go below that. I want to go beyond it. In my experience, when people from Nigeria or Africa take on international roles, they are often looked down on.

People sometimes think they are not good enough, so they hold them to lower standards, which I’ve always rejected. If you come from this part of the world, Africa or the Global South, there are challenges.

Those challenges are there. And I believe some are deliberately orchestrated by politicians to put parts of the world down for their own interests. But it does not mean that the human beings who live there are inferior or subordinate to others.

These challenges have to do with where people live, their access to resources, and the available infrastructure. I understand the challenges that will come with this office. Sometimes you want to have meetings, but you don’t have a good internet connection. Sometimes you want to travel, but you don’t get visas.

For instance, I couldn’t get a visa to be in Canada. Sometimes you want to travel, and they want to know how much is in your account. In my experience, if you don’t have thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in your account, you can be viewed with a lot of suspicion.

I know the challenges that will come with playing this role. But I also know that the essence of humanism, its central message, is that whether you are in the Global South or the Global North, whether you have $1 in your account or a million dollars, what matters is that you are a human being. And the humanist life stance speaks to you, speaks to your needs, and resonates with your desires and aspirations.

I understand the challenges that will come with having me as vice president of a movement like ours. You know very well that part of my work is to step in for the president when needed. I understand the weight of those responsibilities.

But I also believe it sends a clear message that wherever you may be, wherever you may live, whether you are in developed or developing nations, whether you are in poor or rich countries, whether you are Black or white or in between, you are a human being, and the humanist movement is for you.

I understand the challenges, but I know that I have the support of Humanists International as I try to confront them and provide leadership from the Global South that resonates with the Global North and with humanists around the globe.

Jacobsen: In my interviews with humanists, I have found that different countries and regions emphasize humanist values in different ways. It seems to match whatever the regional or national concerns are at that time. What concerns an institutional humanist in New York may not necessarily be what someone in the Philippines, in Southeast Asia, or in Hong Kong or Taiwan, in East Asia, is facing.

In terms of those next steps, how can we better understand which humanist values, in theory and practice, need emphasis in different African contexts to support the development and extension of humanism?

Igwe: I think this is a very important question that speaks to one of my priorities as I try to fulfill the role of vice president. Humanism is not just a theory. It’s also a practice.

Humanism will better fulfill its place in the lives of Africans if humanist principles are turned into programs and projects that address their needs. I hope in the coming years to persuade the humanist movement to become more practical, to come up with programs that address those needs, because Africans are often represented as deeply religious, whatever that means.

Sometimes people say Africans are the most religious people on earth. Surveys place many sub-Saharan African countries among the world’s most religious by several measures. But we need to understand why people are religious. Why are they Christians and Muslims?

In many parts of Africa, Christian missionary work did not introduce Christianity simply as a belief. It came as a broader package, with education, healthcare, and humanitarian programs that spoke, and still speak, to people’s needs.

We cannot promote humanism as an alternative if we don’t have a seat at the table in delivering these services. That is why, as vice president, I’m going to persuade more Africans to become practical and begin delivering humanist services: healthcare and care services for older people. Many people accused of witchcraft are elderly. Some have dementia. 

We don’t have enough accessible institutions to care for these people in many communities. Humanists can begin to establish, manage, and direct these institutions. We can translate our humanist principles into practice and create facilities that demonstrate that practice.

I’m making it one of my priorities to emphasize humanist care, humanist counseling, humanist chaplaincy, humanist ceremonies, and other programs that address not only the needs of humanists but also those of the wider African public. Many people turn to churches or mosques to satisfy these needs where state services are inadequate.

Welfare programs do not reach everyone who needs them. Churches, mosques, and other religious groups help meet some of those needs. If humanism is to thrive on the African continent, I believe it must deliver services to people, satisfy their needs, and put in place structures and institutions that care for them.

We hope to have health centers established and managed by humanists. We hope to have schools, hospitals, caregiving centers, counseling centers, and chaplaincy programs directed by humanists to support not only those who have no religion, which is very important, but also religious people who seek the services humanists provide.

This is how I hope humanist practice can translate into facilities that meet Africans’ needs and, in the process, help the movement grow, develop, become stronger, and become more visible.

Jacobsen: What about intellectual self-defense against powerful political forces or institutionalized religious forces? In an African context, how can people defend themselves intellectually against political pressure or religious coercion to agree, stay silent, or cower when poor evidence, bad arguments, and bad science gain influence?

Igwe: The fact that we are going to focus on practical programs and services doesn’t mean we’re going to shut down the debate. The debate goes on.

We’ll continue to challenge dogmatic claims, authoritarian claims, superstitious claims, claims without evidence, and this idea of making a virtue out of blind faith. We’ll continue to challenge misinformation and disinformation used by religious establishments to perpetuate harmful ideas and practices. The debate will continue.

I’m only saying that while we debate, discuss, and engage theoretically, we are also going to complement that work with practical programs that help people and address their needs. We will continue to lead the intellectual fight for a society guided by Enlightenment values: reason, science, critical thinking, creative thinking, and free inquiry.

We are also going to rally against forces that treat freethought and criticism of religion as blasphemy. That includes efforts to suppress criticism of Islam, Christianity, and other dominant faiths or their teachings and doctrines.

The intellectual fight, the educational fight, and the debate will continue. But I must also add that debate doesn’t stop us from engaging in dialogue, because there will always be points of agreement.

We debate, we engage in dialogue, and we cooperate where necessary to build a society where people can enjoy the good things in life and make the best of this one life we have, whether they agree with humanists or not.

We are going to oppose the idea that if you criticize a religion or a faith, or say what you think about its prophets or other central figures, you deserve to die. We must come out strongly against that vicious idea, upheld by some religious authorities and groups, and create a healthy environment where the exchange of ideas is encouraged.

It’s only when people are free to say what they think and express themselves intellectually that we can get the best ideas to guide, change, and transform our society. Ask me which societies need good ideas today. Nigeria, other African countries, and many parts of the Global South.

We are overburdened by ideas used to keep parts of the world down and keep people divided. We will continue to encourage a culture where new ideas can challenge the status quo and familiar ways of thinking. From these ideas, we can generate thoughts, sentiments, and views that help free us from the political, economic, and cultural bondage that has held parts of the world back.

Jacobsen: Thank you very much for your time, as always.