Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a five-person delegation to represent him and the country at the final burial rites of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the renowned American civil rights leader, activist, and former presidential candidate. Jackson passed away on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84 in Chicago.
The delegation, led by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, will deliver President Tinubu’s message of condolences to the Jackson family. Other members of the delegation 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, Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye.
In a tribute, President Tinubu praised Reverend Jackson as a great friend of Nigeria and Africa, highlighting his moral voice and formidable resistance to apartheid in South Africa. Tinubu noted that Jackson played a leading role in the campaign for the release of Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress leaders, and won critical support for sanctions against the then apartheid government.
The burial programme for the civil rights leader began on February 26, with a lying-in-state at Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago. Services were scheduled for South Carolina and Washington, D.C., followed by a lying-in-state at the South Carolina Statehouse from March 1-5. A “People’s Celebration” took place at House of Hope in Chicago on March 6, and a private homegoing ceremony was held on March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Reverend Jesse Jackson’s legacy as a champion of human rights and social justice continues to inspire people around the world. Nigeria’s participation in his burial rites is a testament to the country’s appreciation for his tireless efforts to promote equality and freedom.
