Tinubu Sets Up High-Level Committee to Oversee State Burial for Late President Buhari
In a move to ensure a dignified and coordinated farewell for the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to handle all arrangements for his state burial.
Buhari, who passed away on Sunday, July 13, in a London hospital, will be honoured with a series of funeral rites reflective of his national stature. The committee will be led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and comprises senior cabinet members, top security chiefs, and other presidential aides.
According to a statement signed by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations in the SGF’s office, the committee’s mandate includes planning a solemn and befitting burial, in line with President Tinubu’s directive to celebrate Buhari’s legacy with national reverence.
Key members of the committee include the Ministers of Finance, Defence, Information, Interior, FCT, Works, and Culture, alongside the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police, and Director-General of the DSS, among others. The General Services Office within the SGF’s office will serve as the committee’s secretariat.
As part of the national mourning protocol, all government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have been instructed to set up condolence registers at their entrances. These will serve as avenues for citizens to express their tributes.
Additionally, two central condolence points will be opened in Abuja — one at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the other at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre — to accommodate tributes from the diplomatic community and the general public.
Further updates regarding the funeral programme will be released in due course.
Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, served as Nigeria’s civilian President from 2015 to 2023 and earlier as a military Head of State between 1983 and 1985. His passing marks the close of a defining chapter in Nigeria’s political and military landscape.
