The 79-year-old former foreign affairs minister and permanent representative to the UN, Joy Angela Ogwu, has passed away.
Ogwu was a renowned scholar and diplomat whose career encompassed public service, education, and diplomacy. He represented Nigeria at the UN from May 2008 to May 2017.
She promoted world peace, disarmament, and international cooperation throughout her two terms as president of the UN Security Council, which she held in July 2010 and October 2011.
Ogwu made significant contributions to the study of international relations and the formulation of Nigeria’s foreign policy while serving as director-general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) before her diplomatic service to the UN.
President Bola Tinubu, in a statement issued on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, his special adviser on information and strategy, described her passing as a great loss to the nation.
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“Nigeria has lost a trailblazer who rose to the highest level of her vocation through excellence and hard work,” Tinubu said.
He honored Ogwu’s career by praising her for “working tirelessly for global peace, disarmament, international security, and the advancement of women’s rights and projecting Nigeria’s voice with clarity and purpose.”
The president also sent condolences to the academic and diplomatic communities, as well as to her family, which included her sister, five children, and grandkids.
The family of Rev. Dr Uma Ukpai, founder of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, has announced his passing at the age of 80.
A statement issued by the family on Monday confirmed that the cleric died on 6 October 2025.
Describing his death as a “glorious transition,” the family said Rev. Ukpai devoted his life to Christian ministry and humanitarian work.
“He was a faithful soldier of the cross who devoted his life to spreading the gospel with passion and integrity,” the statement read.
“His teachings, prophetic insights, and mentorship have left a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire believers for years to come,” the family added.
They expressed gratitude for his life and ministry, noting that while they mourn his absence, they take solace in his “rest in eternal praise.”
Details of funeral arrangements, according to the statement, will be made public later.
Rev. Ukpai, who was born in Asaga, Ohafia, Abia State, on January 7, 1945, started his ministry following a difficult upbringing during which he lost his father when he was ten years old.
