President Bola Tinubu has constituted a five-member delegation to represent Nigeria at the burial of Jesse Jackson in the United States.
Jackson, a pioneer civil rights figure in the US, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84.
According to a State House press release issued on Wednesday, the delegation will deliver the president’s message of condolences to the Jackson family during the final burial rites.
George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, will lead the team.
Other members are 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 Sola Enikanolaye, Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
In an earlier tribute, Tinubu described the late cleric and activist as “a great friend of Nigeria and Africa.”
“He was a moral voice and a formidable opponent of apartheid in South Africa. He played a leading role in the campaign for the release of Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress leaders from prison. He also helped secure critical support for sanctions against the apartheid government,” Tinubu said.
Jackson, a former US presidential candidate and long-time advocate for racial justice, was widely known for his global human rights advocacy and support for anti-apartheid movements in Africa.
The burial programme began on February 26 with a lying-in-state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago.
Activities continued with services in South Carolina and Washington, DC, as well as a lying-in-state at the South Carolina State House from March 1 to 5.
A “People’s Celebration” is scheduled for March 6 at the House of Hope in Chicago, while a private homegoing service will be held on March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
