By Reportcircle Abuja
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan today paid a stirring tribute to the late Prof. Joy Uche Angela Ogwu, describing her as a “solution provider” and one of Nigeria’s most extraordinary public servants.
His remarks came at a “Night of Solemn Tribute” held in Abuja, where friends and former colleagues gathered at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to honor her legacy.
Speaking through Prof. John Kennedy Opara, Jonathan praised Ogwu’s unfaltering commitment to nation-building.
“Ambassador Joy meant a lot; she was a bridge-builder,” he said. “Her invaluable contributions to Nigeria will remain indelible in the sands of time.”
Ogwu, who passed away earlier this year, was born on August 22, 1946, in Asaba, Delta State.
Her career spanned academia and diplomacy: she served as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, became the first woman to be Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), and later represented Nigeria at the United Nations for more than eight years.
During her tenure at the UN, she twice held the presidency of the UN Security Council, in July 2010 and October 2011, moments that cemented her reputation as a global stateswoman.
Her leadership was not just diplomatic but deeply intellectual, rooted in decades of scholarly work in international relations, disarmament, and south–south cooperation.
Jonathan extended his condolences to Ogwu’s family, acknowledging the toll her public service took on them and paying tribute to her unwavering sense of duty.
The former president’s tribute echoed others from the nation’s political class, including President Bola Tinubu, who also described her passing as the loss of a “trailblazer” for Nigeria’s international standing.
At NIIA, where she once led as DG, her death left a palpable void. The institute’s current leadership remembered her as a visionary scholar, diplomat, administrator, and stateswoman, whose influence shaped its work and inspired generations.
The tribute in Abuja was more than a farewell.
It was a recognition of a woman whose life bridged the academic and the diplomatic, whose intellectual rigor matched her dedication to service.
In Jonathan’s words, “Ambassador Joy” was not just a public servant, she was a vital architect of Nigeria’s global identity.
