By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has constituted a five-member delegation to represent Nigeria at the final burial rites of the late American civil rights icon, Jesse Jackson.

Jackson, an activist and former United States presidential candidate, died on February 17, 2026, in Chicago at the age of 84.

The delegation is led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator 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, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye.

According to the Presidency, the delegation will formally deliver President Tinubu’s message of condolences to the Jackson family and pay tribute on behalf of the Nigerian government and people.

In an earlier statement mourning the civil rights leader, President Tinubu described Reverend Jackson as a steadfast friend of Nigeria and the African continent, noting his vocal opposition to apartheid in South Africa and his advocacy for justice and racial 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,” the President stated.

The burial programme commenced on February 26 with a lying-in-state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago.

Memorial services were also scheduled in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., including a lying-in-state at the South Carolina Statehouse from March 1 to 5.

A “People’s Celebration” is slated for March 6 at the House of Hope in Chicago, followed by a private homegoing service on March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.