Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and distinguished diplomat, Professor Joy Uche Angela Ogwu, has died at the age of 79.
Family sources confirmed that Professor Ogwu passed away early Monday at a hospital in New York, United States, with her daughter by her side. She was reported to have succumbed to a cancer-related illness.
Professor Ogwu was widely respected for her service as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and for her leadership as Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
Reacting to the news, Ambassador Usman Sarki, former Nigerian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations who served under her in New York, expressed deep sorrow.
“Today, we received the sad news of the passing of former Permanent Representative, Professor Joy Ogwu,” he said.
“It is very sad. She was a fine woman who represented Nigeria to the best of her ability under very difficult circumstances,” Sarki added, describing her as “a very decent human being.”
“It is very sad and very unfortunate,” he concluded.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
