Wednesday 13 November 2024
1971-2024
The family of the late Joy Osiagwu was joined by an over-spill 300 odd friends and colleagues at the service of songs held in her honour at the Christ Chapel Bible Church on St. Laurent Boulevard. Led in prayer by Rev Nnaemka Ali of St Paul’s University and Rev Joseph Kiirya of the River Jordan Ministries, and with community activist Yvette Ashiri as MC, the congregation was treated to an evening of hymns, music, heartfelt tributes and testimonials for an icon of the city’s Nigerian and Black community, who had passed away suddenly in far way Abuja, Nigeria, following complications from surgery.
Joy was remembered as a consummate professional journalist, mother, wife, and friends to many in the city’s diverse communities. Mourners spoke eloquently of her exemplary role as Communications office at the Nigeria High Commission, volunteer with the Canadians of African Descent health Organization (CADHO), star reporter and editorial associate of Ottawa’s sole black news magazine, Black Ottawa Scene, Nigerian Television Authority’s Canadian correspondent, and member of the Anioma Community Association. As a fitting tribute to Joy, the newly appointed Charge D’Affaires at the Nigeria High Commission, Ambassador Abba Zanna-Kawu, declared that the meeting hall at the embassy would henceforth be designated as the Joy Osiagwu hall.
The congregation listed with heartfelt sympathy as they listened to moving testimonies from Joy’s family: husband Kenneth, and children: Kaine, Chukwunwike and Kanyiwulia.
Among those who paid tribute to Joy were: Professor Josephine Etowa, President of the Canadians of African Descent Health Organization; John Adeyefa, President of the African Canadian Association of Ottawa; Onyisi Otiono, President of the Anioma Association of Ottawa; Professor Nduka Otiono of Carleton University; a representative of the Mayor of Brampton.
Notable among the mourners were: Sarah Onyango, broadcaster and Community Outreach Officer of Black History Ottawa; Godwin Ifedi, Editor and Publisher of Black Ottawa Scene; Wale Ade Sanya, Chairman, Nigerian and Canadian Business Network.
The evening concluded with a blessing to the family by Ottawa’s Black premier religious leader, Bishop Jacob Afolabi, followed by a reception hosted by the Anioma Association and the Canadians of African Descent Health Organization.
Click on this link to watch the video courtesy of Emma Ukwu Photos: Joy Osiagwu wakekeeping
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TRIBUTES
Sarah Onyango, Community Outreach Officer, Black History Ottawa
Dear sweet Joy…my sista-in-media…last night we cried and smiled as we remembered your warmth, brilliance, passion for storytelling, your deep faith and love of family, your community spirit…so many wonderful things that earned you the admiration of many in Nigeria and Canada. You truly truly were celebrated like the Queen and talented journalist that you are. As I took in the moving tributes and beautiful hymns, I found myself looking for you and your camera in the room only to remember that the last event where I saw you working (Oct. 25th) was the last time we would get to coordinate photo ops….life is so incredibly cruel. Your husband and children were so incredibly brave last night. You would have been so proud of them. This is really hard on them and the community that loves you. Rest in peace, my dear. Many many thanks to CCBC for hosting this memorial that was organized in 72 hours. Much gratitude also to Yvette for your crucial role, the pastors, the musicians, the folks who contributed food and refreshments, the Nigerian High Commission for that incredibly generous and compassionate gesture to Ken and the kids…Let’s all continue to support this family as they navigate this sad new reality without their pillar…I still can’t believe this
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Efe Omueti, President Nigerian Canadian Association of Ottawa
Mrs Joy Osiagwu will be sadly missed.
We love you, and you will live on in us through your memories.
Our sincere condolences go out to her family. May God almighty guide and protect them through this painful period. AMEN!
On behalf of the Nigerian Canadian Association Ottawa (NCAO)
Efe Omueti President.
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Michael Abije
Joy Osiagsu dies in Abuja after a brief illness on Friday, 8/11/2024.
Joy Achele Osiagwu is a broadcast journalist and a media consultant with over two decades of full-time practice in the broadcast industry in Nigeria and North America. Joy is a great multitasking broadcaster, News anchor, reporter, producer, and videographer/ film editor. She adds a distinctive flair to her storytelling technique to captivate the listener, viewer or reader.
Osiagwu covered activities of the Nigeria High Commission in Ottawa Canada and the Nigeria Mission to the United Nations in New York for a decade, including the United Nations rotational Presidency of the Security Council during the tenure of the former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN Mission, Professor Joy Ogwu in July 2010, October 2011 and August 2015 for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Due to her intuitive ability to tell great stories, Joy continued with the coverage of the UN General Assembly sessions and Heads of Government high-level meetings from 2013-2017. Apart from covering the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Marrakech, Morocco in 2018, Joy Osiagwu covered the election process and emergence of the 74th President of the United Nations General Assembly, Professor Tijjani Muhammad Bande in June 2019 at the UN in New York.
Osiagwu obtained a Masters in Business Administration and Media Leadership from the University of Cumbria in the United Kingdom. She also has a post-graduate diploma in Broadcast Performing Arts from the Columbia Academy, Vancouver British Columbia Canada. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama, majoring in Theatre for Development.
Nigerian TV report on Joy: https://youtu.be/iq2lVQyKlyo?si=pxF4fhcrteszZhOC