Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor U. Joy Ogwu.
In a tribute shared via his official X handle on Tuesday, Obi described the late diplomat as an “unassuming trailblazer and lady of firsts,” whose remarkable contributions to Nigeria’s foreign policy and international relations left an enduring legacy.
He wrote, “I have received with profound sadness the news of the passing of a dear elder sister, Prof. U. Joy Ogwu, Nigeria’s former foreign minister, as well as former permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations.”
Highlighting her groundbreaking achievements, Obi noted that Prof. Ogwu was the first female Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), the first Nigerian female Foreign Minister in 2006, and the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 2008.
She also made history as the first Nigerian woman to preside over the United Nations Security Council — in July 2010 and again in October 2011.
“Prof. Ogwu was a cosmopolitan, a renowned academic and researcher, and the author of several books on foreign policy, disarmament, and the United Nations,” Obi stated, adding that she was “an expert on security and disarmament issues and a strong advocate for women’s development and human rights.”
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Describing her passing as a “great loss to her family, Delta State, and Nigeria,” Obi offered his condolences to those she left behind and prayed for strength and comfort for her loved ones.
“In consoling those she left behind, I pray that God will grant her family, and all of us, the fortitude to bear this huge loss and grant her soul peaceful repose,” he concluded.
Professor Joy Ogwu was widely respected as one of Nigeria’s foremost diplomats and scholars, whose distinguished career helped shape the nation’s voice in global affairs.