Tinubu Dispatches Akume, Bianca Ojukwu, and Others to Chicago for Jesse Jackson’s Final Farewell

Nigeria is officially joining the world in saying a final goodbye to one of the most significant moral voices of the 21st century. On Wednesday, March 4, President Bola Tinubu constituted a high-profile five-member delegation to represent the “State of Harmony” at the burial rites of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson in the United States.

The delegation, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, is tasked with delivering President Tinubu’s personal condolences to the Jackson family. Joining Akume on the journey are the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, highlighting the deep cultural and diplomatic ties Jackson maintained with Nigeria throughout his life.

Reverend Jackson, who died on February 17 at the age of 84, was described by President Tinubu as more than just an American activist; he was a “steadfast ally of Africa.” From his early days as a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr. to his aggressive lobbying for sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa, Jackson’s influence crossed oceans. The President noted that Jackson’s role in the liberation of Nelson Mandela remains a landmark achievement that Nigerians and Africans will never forget.

The Nigerian delegation arrives just as the funeral ceremonies reach their peak. After Jackson lay in state at the South Carolina State House earlier this week, the focus now shifts to Chicago. On Friday, March 6, the “People’s Celebration” at the House of Hope is expected to draw a “who’s who” of global politics, including current and former U.S. Presidents.

For Nigeria, this mission is about more than just protocol. As the delegation prepares to join the private homegoing service on Saturday, March 7, they carry with them the gratitude of a nation that remembers Jesse Jackson as a man who “dared to keep hope alive” not just for Black Americans, but for the oppressed everywhere.