President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a five-member Nigerian delegation to attend the burial of the renowned American civil rights leader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died in the United States last month.
Jackson, an influential activist, Baptist minister, and former United States presidential candidate, died on 17 February 2026 in Chicago at the age of 84 after decades of global advocacy for civil rights, racial justice, and African solidarity.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the delegation will represent both President Tinubu and Nigeria at the final burial ceremonies.
Leading the delegation is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. Other members include the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; the Special Presidential Envoy for Global and Pan-African Affairs, Brian Browne; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Sola Enikanolaye.
According to the statement, the delegation will deliver President Tinubu’s condolence message to the Jackson family and pay tribute to the late civil rights icon on behalf of Nigeria.
In an earlier tribute, the Nigerian leader described Jackson as a steadfast ally of Africa and a moral voice in the global struggle for justice and equality.
“He was a moral voice and a formidable resistance to apartheid in South Africa. He played a leading role in the campaign for the release from prison of Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress leaders. He won critical support for sanctions against the then apartheid government”, President Tinubu wrote.
Jackson, founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, was widely known for his advocacy for racial equality, economic justice, and international solidarity movements. Over several decades, he maintained close relationships with African leaders and consistently spoke out against apartheid and other forms of racial oppression.
The burial programme for the late civil rights leader began on February 26 with a lying-in-state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago.
Further memorial services were scheduled to take place in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., between March 1 and March 5, including another lying-in-state at the South Carolina Statehouse.
The ceremonies will continue on March 6 with a “People’s Celebration” at the House of Hope Chicago, while a private homegoing service for family members and close associates will be held on March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Jackson’s death has drawn tributes from leaders across the world who remembered him as one of the most prominent voices in the global fight for civil rights and social justice.
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