Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been awarded the 2025 Sunhak Peace Prize. The prize is in recognition of his commitment to promotion of peace and democracy in Africa. The Sunhak Peace Prize will be presented to him by the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation in Seoul, South Korea, on April 11. He is the third winner of the prize and the first African leader to win this category. Past winners of the award include former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon, and Prime Minister of Cambodia, Mr. Hun Sen. This year’s award ceremony will be the sixth in the series.
Sunhak Peace Prize Committee said Jonathan’s nomination was in recognition of his consistent mediations and pro-democracy activities to bring peace to the African continent. These peace overtures were courtesy of the various associations he has chaired, including Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), West African Elders’ Forum (WAEF) and International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Jonathan on the peace prize. Tinubu commended Jonathan for his consistent advocacy for peace and democracy, which had earned him global recognition. Tinubu also said that Jonathan’s winning the Sunhak Peace Award affirmed his bold efforts in peace-building and promoting democracy in Africa and beyond. He added that Jonathan’s historic acceptance of the results of the 2015 presidential election and his peaceful handover of power to an opposition party bolstered the nation’s democratic profile.
We congratulate Jonathan for making Nigeria proud in the comity of nations ten years after leaving office. The Sunhak Peace Prize, awarded by the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, recognises individuals and organisations making significant contributions to world peace and human development. Jonathan demonstrated good leadership when he conceded defeat during the 2015 general election and congratulated the winner, Muhammmadu Buhari.
He also made it clear that his political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. That declaration was novel in the nation’s political history where politics was seen as a ‘do or die’ affair. Our politics has been characterized with tensions along ethnic, religious and party lines. It is, therefore, commendable that Jonathan prefers national interest far above other mundane considerations.
It is commendable that 10 years after leaving office, Jonathan has chosen not to interfere in Nigerian politics and has avoided being at loggerheads with his successors. He has elected to offer useful advice to the country’s leadership. This is the hallmark of a statesman. As the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States Council of the Wise, Jonathan, in February, 2022, emphasised the importance of peace, security and development in the West African region, during the opening of the council’s retreat and planning workshop. As one of the key mediation organs of the ECOWAS peace and security architecture, the council is tasked with leading in peace efforts, preventive diplomacy and initiatives that will promote democracy and good governance in our sub-region.
One of the tasks handled by Jonathan-led council was the military coups in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, which occurred at a time democracy is taking foothold in the sub-region. Together with ECOWAS leadership, the council’s intervention contributed to the non-escalation of the political crisis in the region. Jonathan is a firm believer in a united Africa, a continent that trades within itself, builds resilient supply chains and creates African solutions for African challenges.
Jonathan has pointed out that Africa’s demographic advantage must be seen as a strategic asset. He called on the continent to invest in its youths. His advice must be taken seriously. This strategic investment would not only impact on the future of our economies and governance but on the peace of the people. We hope that the award will spur other African leaders to do well in office.
Jonathan should not to rest on his oars but do more to consolidate peace and democracy in Africa. There is more work to be done to stabilise fragile democracies on the continent and return constitutional democracy to Gabon, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Sadly, governance deficits, insecurity and political instability in parts of Africa have continued to affect growth and investors’ confidence in Africa. Let African leaders be committed to peace and democracy on the continent.