On 17 October 2023, the International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) named Jonah Akekere an Eminent Ambassador of Peace in an awards ceremony in Bayelsa, Nigeria. Akekere is the Stake President of the Yenagoa Nigeria Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The designation was in recognition of President Akekere’s peace building efforts in the academic world as well as in his community.
President Akekere is a professor of developmental economics and current Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Bayelsa state-owned university.
Since 2012, the IAWPA has been promoting peace through the organization of peace education, peace workshop and hosting various United Nations Sustainable Development Goals anniversary events in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Botswana, Togo, Denmark, Gambia, and South Africa.
This Eminent Ambassador of Peace Advocacy Award is a great honor in the international peace movement. President Akekere will represent his country and his university by participating in United Nations and other international conferences that focus on peace initiatives, peace building, the United Nations' sustainable development goals, and climate change.
“Peace building, as subjective as it may seem, has the propensity to help us make the world a better place than we found it,” President Akekere noted in his acceptance remarks.
President Akekere is also known for his efforts in promoting inter-faith unity and in working with local traditional leaders to meet the needs of all community members. Recently he invited the King of the Opu-Nembe Kingdom to a church activity at the stake center. His Royal Majesty, King Biobelemoye J. Josiah (Ogbodo theVIII) honored that invitation and attended the activity. President Akekere followed this with a visit to the traditional council in the Opu-Nembe Kingdom.