President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a five‑member Nigerian delegation to represent the country at the burial rites of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the late American civil rights leader who died at age 84 on February 17, 2026, in Chicago, United States.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to an official State House press release, the delegation will deliver President Tinubu’s message of condolence to Jackson’s family and pay tribute to his legacy as a global advocate for human rights and justice.
The group is led by Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and includes several senior officials: Bianca Odumegwu‑Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy; Brian Browne, Special Presidential Envoy for Global and Pan‑African Affairs; and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye, Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
President Tinubu had earlier described Jackson as “a great friend of Nigeria and Africa,” highlighting his role as a moral voice against apartheid in South Africa, his support for the release of Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress leaders, and his efforts in rallying international backing for sanctions against the apartheid government.
Jackson, a former U.S. presidential candidate and prominent civil rights activist, has been honoured globally for his long‑standing commitment to racial justice and equality.
The burial programme began with a lying‑in‑state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago on February 26, followed by memorial services in South Carolina and Washington, D.C. before concluding with additional rites scheduled in the coming days.
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