President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dispatched a five-member delegation to represent Nigeria at the burial of renowned American civil rights leader, Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84 in Chicago.
The delegation is led by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Other members include Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Special Presidential Envoy for Global and Pan-African Affairs, Brian Browne; and Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye.
According to a State House statement issued on March 4 by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the delegation will deliver President Tinubu’s message of condolences to the family of the late civil rights icon.
In an earlier tribute, President Tinubu described Rev. Jackson as a great friend of Nigeria and Africa, noting his strong stance against apartheid in South Africa. The President recalled Jackson’s advocacy for the release of Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress leaders, as well as his role in mobilising global support for sanctions against the apartheid regime.
The burial programme began on February 26 with a lying-in-state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago. Services were also scheduled in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., including a lying-in-state at the South Carolina Statehouse from March 1 to 5. A “People’s Celebration” is set for March 6 at the House of Hope in Chicago, followed by a private homegoing service on March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
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