President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Ambassador Joy Uche Angela Ogwu, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who died at the age of 79.
Ambassador Ogwu, a distinguished diplomat and scholar, served as Nigeria’s envoy to the United Nations between May 2008 and May 2017, during which she twice presided over the UN Security Council, in July 2010 and October 2011.
Before her UN appointment, she was the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), where she made landmark contributions to Nigeria’s foreign policy development and the study of international relations.
In a condolence statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described the late Ambassador as “a trailblazer who rose to the highest level of her vocation through excellence and hard work.”
He commended Ogwu’s lifetime of service, noting that she “projected Nigeria’s voice with clarity and purpose while working tirelessly for global peace, disarmament, international security, and the advancement of women’s rights.”
The President extended his sympathies to her children, grandchildren, siblings, and the wider diplomatic and academic community, praying for the peaceful repose of her soul and comfort for all who mourn her loss.
