Former Foreign Affairs Minister Joy Ogwu Dies At 79 — Nigeria Mourns A Diplomatic Icon

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Joy Uche Angela Ogwu, has reportedly passed away at the age of 79.

Family sources confirmed her death to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Monday, revealing that she died in the early hours of the day 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 distinguished scholar, diplomat, and policy expert whose illustrious career bridged academia, governance, and international diplomacy.

She served as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs between August 2006 and May 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and in 2008, she was appointed Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a position she held until 2017, becoming the first Nigerian woman to hold the role.

Before her appointment as minister, she was the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), where she gained international acclaim for her contributions to foreign policy, peacebuilding, and disarmament advocacy.

Throughout her career, Prof. Ogwu was a strong voice for women’s empowerment, education, and human rights. She collaborated with UNESCO on programs promoting human rights education in Nigerian schools and served on the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.

Her passing marks the end of an era for Nigeria’s diplomatic and intellectual community, leaving behind a lasting legacy of excellence and global impact.