Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and renowned diplomat, Professor Joy Uche Angela Ogwu, has passed away at the age of 79.
According to family sources, Prof. Ogwu died early Monday, October 13, at a hospital in New York, United States, with her daughter by her side.
Born on August 22, 1946, in Delta State, Prof. Ogwu made history as the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a role she held from 2008 to 2017. She also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from August 2006 to May 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Before her entry into government, Ogwu had a distinguished academic career and was widely respected as a foreign policy scholar. She began as a lecturer and researcher and later became the first female Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), where she played a key role in shaping Nigeria’s engagement with the global community.
A graduate of Rutgers University, New Jersey, Ogwu earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science before obtaining a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Lagos in 1977. Her work at the NIIA positioned her as a leading authority on Nigeria’s foreign policy, disarmament, and South-South cooperation, particularly between Africa and Latin America.
Throughout her diplomatic career, Prof. Ogwu earned global recognition for her leadership and expertise. She represented Nigeria at the United Nations, presiding over the UN Security Council twice — in July 2010 and October 2011. 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).
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