Tinubu sends five-member delegation to attend Jesse Jackson’s burial

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Bola Tinubu has appointed a five-member delegation to represent Nigeria at the burial ceremonies of renowned American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who died on February 17, 2026, in Chicago at the age of 84.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the delegation will attend the final rites in the United States and convey Tinubu’s condolences to the late activist’s family.

The team is led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. 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 Sola Enikanolaye.

The delegation is expected to deliver President Tinubu’s message of sympathy and solidarity to Jackson’s family during the burial ceremonies.

In an earlier tribute, Tinubu described Jackson as a “great friend of Nigeria and Africa,” acknowledging his long-standing support for the continent’s struggle against injustice and racial oppression.

The Nigerian leader noted that the late cleric was a powerful moral voice who played a prominent role in global efforts to end apartheid in South Africa.

Jackson, Tinubu said, helped mobilise international support for sanctions against the apartheid regime and campaigned vigorously for the release of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and other leaders of the African National Congress.

Jackson’s burial programme began on February 26 with a lying-in-state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago. Additional memorial activities were scheduled in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., including a lying-in-state at the South Carolina Statehouse between March 1 and March 5.

A “People’s Celebration” of the civil rights leader’s life will take place on March 6 at the House of Hope in Chicago, while a private homegoing service is scheduled for March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Jackson, a former United States presidential candidate and one of the most influential figures in the American civil rights movement, was widely recognised for his advocacy for racial equality, social justice and global human rights.

His activism also extended to Africa, where he maintained close ties with leaders and movements that fought against colonialism and apartheid.