Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has made history as the winner of the 2025 Founder’s Sunhak Peace Award, a prestigious recognition by the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation in Seoul, South Korea.
With this win, Jonathan becomes the first African leader and only the third recipient of the Founder’s Prize, following in the footsteps of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee lauded Jonathan’s relentless peace efforts, highlighting his pro-democracy initiatives and mediation roles across Africa. According to the committee:
“Dr. Jonathan is being honoured for his unwavering commitment to fostering peace and democracy, particularly through his leadership in the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), and the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP).”
The award ceremony, set to take place in Seoul on April 11, 2025, will celebrate Jonathan and other distinguished laureates for their contributions to global stability and human development.
The Founder’s Sunhak Peace Award is one of two categories in the biennial Sunhak Peace Prize, which honours individuals and organisations making significant contributions to world peace, sustainable development, and conflict resolution.
Past winners of the main Sunhak Peace Prize include Senegal’s former President Macky Sall, AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and Dame Sarah Gilbert, co-developer of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Jonathan will receive his award alongside three other 2025 laureates: Patrick Awuah Jr., Founder & President, Ashesi University, Ghana; Hugh Evans, Co-founder & CEO, Global Citizen and Wanjira Mathai, Regional Director for Africa, World Resources Institute
Founder of the Sunhak Peace Prize, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, described the honourees as beacons of hope in a world plagued by conflict and division].
“The lives of these laureates are a testament to the power of concrete action and cultural transformation in achieving peace,” she stated.
Since its inception in 2015, the Sunhak Peace Prize has celebrated visionaries dedicated to human rights, conflict resolution, and environmental conservation—values Jonathan has embodied in his diplomatic and humanitarian efforts.
