- Civil rights icon, renowned preacher, Friend of Nigeria, Icon of Africa – President Tinubu
- “Force of nature” and “True giant” – President Trump & Former US President Obama
- “A servant leader” and voice of “the oppressed, the voiceless” – Family
Nigeria’s leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has joined world leaders in eulogising “civil rights icon and renowned Baptist preacher, Reverend Jesse Jackson, who passed away” on Monday, 17 February 2026, at the age of 84.
In a personal condolence message written from State House, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, the president indicated that he joins “the rest of the world and the people of the United States of America to mourn the passing of Reverend Jackson” whom he described as “a servant-leader who captured the global imagination as a young activist, alongside civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., fighting for the dignity of black people, the oppressed, and the voiceless in the United States and across the world.”
Renowned US Baptist preacher, Reverend Jesse Jackson. Credit: New York Times
Great preacher, dogged activist
Citing the legacies of the great preacher and activist, the leader of the oil-rich nation acknowledged that “Reverend Jackson lived a remarkable life as a strong voice for the universal ideals of justice and human progress. Even as age and illness mellowed him, his voice still resonated, urging us never to stop fighting for what is right and never to lose faith in humanity. He wanted us to ‘keep hope alive.’”
Further describing him as “a moral voice and a formidable resistance to apartheid in South Africa,” the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR – Nigeria’s highest national honour), detailed that “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.”
Friend of Nigeria, Icon of Africa
Citing his relationship with Nigeria and Africa, the 73-year-old leader emphasised that “Reverend Jackson promoted civil liberties and advanced the course of democracy and good governance” and also “helped link African leaders with the Congressional Black Caucus to promote Africa’s interests in Washington.”
He recalled that Jackson “stood in defence of human rights and the restoration of democratic rule – during the dark era of military dictatorship in Nigeria,” adding that “he was the Special Envoy appointed by President Bill Clinton to Nigeria and Africa in 1997 and 1999.”
“Force of nature,” “True giant.”
While US President Donald Trump described Jackson as a “force of nature” who had “lots of personality, grit and street smarts,” Barack Obama, who said he “stood on his shoulders,” to become America’s first black president, added that he as indeed a “true giant.”
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, hospitalised in November 2025, Jackson was later diagnosed with a degenerative condition leading to his death.
He is remembered as a force to be reckoned with during the civil rights movement in the 1960s, when he supported Martin Luther King Jr.
“A servant leader,” voice of “the oppressed, the voiceless”
He built a political career by actively organising and motivating African Americans to fight for their rights, becoming a national force to reckon with during his two White House bids.
In their tribute, his family disclosed that their father was “a servant leader” who not only stood for them but also for “the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked.”
