Afrobarometer (www.Afrobarometer.org) has appointed four distinguished professionals to its board of directors, strengthening the organisation’s commitment to rigorous research, youth leadership, and citizen-centred evidence.

The new board members bring expertise spanning governance, elections, youth empowerment, technology, and finance. The appointees are:

• Bupe Lughano Kabaghe (https://apo-opa.co/4aqwCho), a governance and development professional specialising in policy research, stakeholder engagement, and youth empowerment. With experience across Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, she designs and delivers initiatives that promote inclusion and sustainable development. She holds a master’s degree in global governance and diplomacy from the University of Oxford and is the founder of the Abana Afrika Foundation, which has empowered more than 450 young people through leadership and advocacy programmes.
• Mathias Hounkpe (https://apo-opa.co/4aZ4dPA), a Beninese elections and governance expert with more than 20 years of experience promoting democratic processes in West Africa. He currently serves as country representative of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Gabon and previously led IFES programmes in Mali and Chad. A former head of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa’s Political Governance and Democratic Consolidation programme, he is also a lecturer on elections and governance and co-author of a comparative study on electoral-management bodies in West Africa.
• Rita Sraha (https://apo-opa.co/4rXu68u), a chartered accountant and business consultant with extensive experience in finance, corporate governance, and strategic management. She currently serves as acting managing director and board member of Ghana Post Company Ltd. Over a career spanning nearly three decades, she has held senior leadership roles at Kwame Asante & Associates and worked across both private and public sectors in Ghana and internationally.
• Sherif Helal (https://apo-opa.co/4arafbx), an Egyptian electrical engineer focused on applying technology and artificial intelligence to social and economic development. With a background in engineering and innovation, he works at the intersection of technology, business, and the public good and is developing the Social Knowledge Engine, an AI-powered concept designed to foster accountability, data sharing, and inclusive growth.

Afrobarometer Board Chair Amina Oyagbola said the new members reflect the organisation’s strategic focus on youth leadership, accountable governance, and technological transformation.

“Africa’s future will be shaped by a new generation of leaders and by how effectively we harness technology for the public good,” Oyagbola said. “Our new members bring strong credentials in youth leadership, governance, and digital innovation, reinforcing Afrobarometer’s capacity to generate citizen-centred data that speaks to the aspirations of young Africans and supports evidence-based decision making across the continent.”