It is with a profound sense of loss and deep gratitude for a life of exceptional service that the NIIA joins the world to mourn the passing of Professor U. Joy Ogwu, former Director-General of the Institute. The news of her passing has left a void not only in our hearts but in the entire diplomatic and academic community of Nigeria and beyond.
Prof. Ogwu was a trailblazer in the truest sense, a visionary leader whose career was distinguished. She was a scholar, diplomat, administrator, and stateswoman who served our country with dignity and a sense of mission. Her legacy is etched in the annals of our Nation’s history. As the first Female Director General of the Nigerian Institute International Affairs, she reinvigorated our premier foreign policy think tank. Her appointment as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and subsequently as the first female Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations were landmark achievements that inspired a generation of Nigerians.
At the UN, her leadership was further cemented when she made history as the first Nigerian female to preside over the UN Security Council. Professor Ogwu has to her credit several academic publications. The NIIA family join her children, grandchildren, siblings and the entire nation to mourn this colossal loss. We are comforted by the extraordinary life she lived and indelible impact she made.
May her gentle soul rest in the bosom of God.
Professor Eghosa Osaghae
Director-General