By Obinna Uballa
Professor Joy Uche Angela Ogwu, one of Nigeria’s most distinguished diplomats and international affairs scholars, who passed away at 79 on Monday, may be buried in New York, United States, the New Diplomat has gathered.
The New Diplomat had reported that the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations died in the early hours of Monday at a hospital in New York. Her daughter was by her side when she passed.
The New Diplomat also gathered that Prof. Ogwu had instructed her children before her death to bury her in New York, where she had spent much of her later years, and not to stress themselves with transporting her remains back to Nigeria.
Consequently, plans may be underway for her burial in New York, unless there’s a last minute change of plan by the family.
Born on August 22, 1946, Prof. Ogwu was a trailblazer in Nigeria’s diplomatic and academic circles. She made history as the first woman to serve as Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a position she held from 2008 to 2017.
Prior to that, she became Nigeria’s second female Minister of Foreign Affairs, serving in the cabinet of former President Olusegun Obasanjo between August 2006 and May 2007, following Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who briefly held the position.
A native of Delta State, Ogwu began her career in academia as a lecturer and researcher before becoming the first female Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), where she made significant contributions to the study and practice of Nigerian foreign policy.
She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science from Rutgers University, New Jersey, and earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Lagos. Her early scholarly work focused on Nigeria’s foreign policy and South–South cooperation, particularly between Africa and Latin America.
Throughout her distinguished career, Ogwu served as an adviser to several international bodies, including the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), where she later chaired the board of trustees. At the United Nations, she twice presided over the UN Security Council (July 2010 and October 2011) and chaired the executive board of UN Women, the global body for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
A firm advocate of peace, security, and gender equity, Prof. Ogwu played a leading role in shaping Nigeria’s foreign policy and strengthening the country’s diplomatic profile on the world stage. She also served on the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters and contributed significantly to human rights education initiatives, including UNESCO-funded programmes in Nigerian schools.
She authored several influential books and papers, including Nigerian Foreign Policy: Alternative Futures (1986), and was widely respected for promoting stronger ties between Africa and Latin America.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in the coming days.
