Former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been named the winner of the 2025 Founder’s Sunhak Peace Award, presented by the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation in Seoul, South Korea.
His Special Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, announced the news on Monday night, March 23, stating that Jonathan is the third recipient of this prestigious award and the first African leader to win it. He follows former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The award ceremony, the sixth edition of the series, is scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025, in Seoul, where Jonathan and other laureates will be honored.
According to the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, Jonathan is being recognized for his commitment to mediation and pro-democracy efforts in Africa. His work through organizations like the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), and the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP) has significantly contributed to fostering peace across the continent.
The Sunhak Peace Prize is awarded biennially in two categories: the Founder’s Prize and the main Sunhak Peace Prize. The latter has previously been awarded to notable figures such as former Senegalese President Macky Sall, African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina, Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine co-developer Dame Sarah Catherine Gilbert, and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
Jonathan will receive his award alongside three winners in the other category, as announced by José Manuel Durão Barroso, Chair of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee and former President of the European Commission. The awardees are Patrick Awuah Jr., Founder and President of Ashesi University in Ghana; Hugh Evans, Co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen; and Wanjira Mathai, Regional Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute.
In her pre-event address, Sunhak Peace Prize founder Hak Ja Han Moon emphasized that the lives of the laureates reflect the power of concrete actions and cultural transformation in achieving peace.
“Over the past decade, the Sunhak Peace Prize has identified and honored individuals who have dedicated themselves to addressing urgent global challenges based on its three core values: respect for human rights, reconciliation of conflicts, and ecological conservation,” she stated.
