The 2026 United Nations International Day with the theme: “Peaceful Coexistence,” may have come and gone, but the important message of peace which was advocated by all and sundry guests will remain indelible.
HE Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu
Speaking at the event on the 31st of January, 2026, the Global Director of the International Face of Peace and Integrity Advocates (IFOPIA), Her Honor, Amb. (Dr.) Chinaza Jenny Ugboaja, said they were at the event to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)and not only to observe the United Nations Day, but also to support the UN SD Goals, especially SDG 1, 2 and 3, which is zero for hunger and eradication of poverty.
Her Honor Amb. Dr. Jenny Ugboaja
According to her: “We are here today to celebrate this peace. It is only when a man is peaceful that you can be able to help. A man that is not at peace cannot eradicate poverty and that is why we have come to do this seminar.
“That is why we have come to gather people under the United Nations Assembly, to teach them what it means to live peacefully and for its coexistence,” Amb. Ugboaja stated.
In the same vein, the Country Director of IFOPIA in Nigeria, His Eminence, Prophet Amb. King Leo David Elijah, opined that the event was designed to advance the SD Goals of the Ambassador, while appealing to individuals and institutions to embrace the values of peaceful coexistence, accountability and mutual respect, which according to him, are the ideals of the SD Goals.
He went further to emphasize the promotion of the global agenda, for a better world for all and sundry to live in it, pointing out that the world is characterized with one problem or the other on a daily basis, hence the importance of SDGs for the promotion of peace around the world.
In her address, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, represented by Mrs. Gloria Adie Evans, Director, Petroleum And Gas, Rivers State Boundary Commission, said that peace and development are necessary tools for sustainable development in any nation.
While expressing her heartfelt appreciation to the International Face of Peace and Integrity Advocates (IFOPIA) on the UN Global Icon Of Peace And Integrity Award bestowed on her as the second (2nd) African woman to receive the prestigious award, the Deputy Governor said: “I accept this honour with humility, not as a personal achievement alone, but a credit to the collective effort of the government and the good people of Rivers State. 
“Promoting peace, integrity and inclusive governance. Peace and coexistence are not abstract things, they are daily commitments to justice, equality, dialogue and respect to human dignity,” Her Excellency stated.
Responding, a veteran Nollywood actor and the Coordinator of IFOPIA in Ghana, Amb. Dr. Alex Usifor, called on the two political actors in the current Rivers State political crisis to sheath their sword for the good of all and sundry citizens of Rivers State.
Amb. Usifor who acknowledged the peaceful serenity of PortHarcourt as against the negative narrative outside the state, described Rivers State as an entertainment hub that needed to be nurtured for effective utilisation.
In the same vein, another Nollywood veteran actor, Amb. Sir Livinus Nnochiri, the South-East Coordinator of IFOPIA, said the event was meant to induct new ambassadors of IFOPIA, having been personally inducted ten years ago.
He recalled that what God breathed into man during creation was peace, hence the need for all and sundry to love and live in peace with one another.
Speaking in an interview, UN Eminent Amb. May Yul-Edochie, described peace as the number one ambassador, which they have gathered to promote, courtesy of the United Nations International Day, as observed by IFOPIA.
She described the day as a day of peace, a day to celebrate harmony, freedom and unity around the world.
Amb. Yul-Edochie further used the medium to commend IFOPIA for the success of the event, while urging the newly inductees to take advantage of their social media platforms, just like herself, to promote the outcome of the day’s event. 
Dr. Ugboaja & Amb. Odiwanmkpa
One of the newly inducted members of IFOPIA, Amb. Mrs. Nkechi Celestina Odiwanmkpa said she was glad and excited to be an inductee of IFOPIA, having travelled all the way from Abuja to be part of the event in PortHarcourt, the Rivers State capital.
She maintained that being an inductee of IFOPIA wasn’t an ordinary honour, but one that is basically meant for men and women that have made significant impacts in the society or those that have empathy for the voiceless in the society.
On her advice to other women in the society, Eminent Amb. Odiwanmkpa said: “It is a clarion call to the society, you must not be a millionaire or a billionaire before you can help the less privileged in the society. No matter how it is, you should learn to be your brother or sister’s keeper by reaching out to them, and know how the are feeling.
“I believe in life that giving is a sacrifice, we live a life of sacrifice, a life of empathy to community, to our fellow human beings, and we will be able to impact the society at large,” Amb. Odiwanmkpa opined.
Other respondents which include: Mr. Chidi Nwachukwu, representative of Commander MacDonald Ubah retired, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Abia State and a newly inductee, Eminent Amb. Mrs. Chika Ozero, expressed their deep appreciation to IFOPIA for the successful induction, while acknowledging peace as paramount in every human endeavour.
The highpoint of the event was the decoration and presentation of the UN Global Icon Of Peace And Integrity Award to the newly inducted members.
