Nigeria has lost one of its most accomplished diplomats and respected global figures, Professor Joy Uche Angela Ogwu, who passed away at the age of 79.
Family sources confirmed that the former Minister of Foreign Affairs died in the early hours of Monday at a hospital in New York, United States, with her daughter by her side.
Born on August 22, 1946, in Delta State, Prof. Ogwu was a trailblazer who shattered glass ceilings in both academia and diplomacy. She made history as the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a position she held with distinction from 2008 to 2017.
Before that, she had a brief but remarkable tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from August 2006 to May 2007 during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, becoming one of the few women to occupy that position in the country’s history.
An erudite scholar and foreign policy strategist, Ogwu began her professional journey as a lecturer and researcher before joining the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), where she rose to become its first female Director-General. Her tenure at the NIIA marked a period of renewed intellectual engagement and policy influence in Nigeria’s external relations.
A graduate of Rutgers University, New Jersey, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science, Ogwu obtained her doctorate in Political Science from the University of Lagos in 1977. She later emerged as a leading authority on Nigeria’s foreign policy, disarmament, and South-South cooperation, particularly between Africa and Latin America.
At the United Nations, Prof. Ogwu represented Nigeria with grace and authority, twice presiding over the UN Security Council, in July 2010 and October 2011, a rare honour for any diplomat. She also served as president of the executive board of UN Women and chaired the board of trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).
Her influence extended beyond diplomacy. Prof. Ogwu was an unwavering advocate for women’s empowerment, human rights, and education. She contributed to UNESCO-backed initiatives that promoted civic and human rights education across Nigerian schools and served on the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.
An accomplished author, she penned several seminal works, including Nigerian Foreign Policy: Alternative Futures (1986), and published widely on global security, disarmament, and diplomacy.
Prof. Joy Ogwu’s passing marks the end of an era for Nigeria’s diplomatic community. She is remembered not only as a pioneering stateswoman but also as a mentor who inspired generations of women in public service and international relations.
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