EMMANUEL NLEWEDUM, Port Harcourt
The United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD) has called on the Federal Government to deploy all available machinery to promote genuine happiness and improve the well-being of Nigerians, irrespective of affiliation.
Secretary-General of UN-WCD, Professor Tunji John Asaolu, made the call at an event to mark the 2026 International Day of Happiness, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.
The event, themed ‘Caring and Sharing,’ brought together esteemed diplomats, global leaders, and changemakers to promote happiness, peace, and sustainable development.
The celebration featured induction of 32 new Global Diplomats into the UN-WCD.
The inductees were tasked on promoting policies and partnerships that foster global peace, advance human dignity, and empower underserved communities.
In his address, Secretary-General of UN-WCD, Professor Tunji Asaolu, emphasized that happiness is a fundamental human goal and a reflection of collective peace, shared prosperity, inclusivity, equity, and mental well-being.
Professor Asaolu stressed that the government must intensify efforts to ensure peace and protect lives, warning that citizens cannot be truly happy in an atmosphere of insecurity and unrest.
“It’s important for the government to understand that happiness is a fundamental human goal, and it’s our collective responsibility to promote it,” he said.
The UN-WCD Secretary-General also encouraged the new diplomats to channel the theme of the celebration “Sharing and Caring” into action, supporting initiatives that reduce poverty, enhance education, tackle gender disparities, and champion environmental sustainability.
He highlighted the importance of diplomacy in promoting happiness, emphasizing that it is not just about negotiations or official protocols, but about creating possibilities for peace, empowering the disenfranchised, and ensuring no one is left behind.
He urged new diplomats to diplomats and global citizens to reimagine their roles as transformative forces, nurturing hope, fostering collaboration, taking bold steps toward creating a happier, more harmonious and better world.
He stressed that addressing societal challenges that reflects on the impact of poverty, inequality, insecurity, climate change, and conflict on global happiness, requires collective action, compassion, and courage.
“Happiness is not a private affair; it depends on social conditions, public action, and justice.”
He emphasized that the UN-WCD stands at the forefront of promoting diplomacy as an art and responsibility, fostering understanding, building trust, and creating connections that transcend borders.
UN-WCD’s Head of Policy and Diplomatic Affairs, Dr. Larry-Goodwill Akintola, who also was the host, disclosed that “UN-WCD is a global platform that promotes diplomacy, peace, and sustainable development.
“Our mission is to foster understanding, build trust, and create connections that transcend borders.
Ambassador Akintola who also oversees the South-South and South-East regions of the organization, charged the newly inducted diplomats to use their positions to drive meaningful national development, while calling on Nigerians to embrace dialogue over confrontation in resolving conflicts, and work together to build a world that honors dignity, aspirations, and happiness for all.
The UN-WCD reiterated its commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the well-being of Nigerians, and to also support its ambassadors and the global community in promoting peace, happiness, and sustainable development.
One of the inductees, Dr. Chinyere Nwoga, President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHACCIMA), promised to leverage the opportunity to advance initiatives that will enhance workers’ welfare and overall happiness.
Prominent among the new inductees include the District Superintendent (DS) of Assemblies of God Church, Ikwerre District in Rivers State, Rev. Amb. Adebowale Adefunsi, the General Manager of the Rivers State Television (RSTV), Amb. Paul Damgbor and others.
For a better society
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