FG Rolls Out Elaborate State Burial Plans for Former President Buhari
By Raymond Enoch
The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a comprehensive and solemn programme of events to honour the life and legacy of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who passed away recently in London. This was made known during a press briefing conducted by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Monday afternoon in Abuja.
In his address, the Minister conveyed the deep sense of national loss and the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that the late President receives a dignified state burial befitting his status as a two-time national leader and elder statesman.
To facilitate a seamless and well-coordinated burial process, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, CON. The committee includes:
Ministers of Finance, Budget & Planning, Defence, Works, Interior, FCT, Housing, Health, Culture & Creative Economy
The National Security Adviser
The Inspector-General of Police
The Director-General of DSS
The Chief of Defence Staff
Presidential aides on Policy, Coordination, Political and Other Matters
The General Services Office (GSO) of the SGF’s office will serve as the secretariat to the committee.
According to the Minister, the remains of the late President are expected to arrive Katsina by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, July 15. A brief military ceremony will be conducted at the airport upon arrival, after which the remains will be transported to Daura, his hometown in Katsina State.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will personally receive the body in Katsina and attend the Jana’iza (Islamic funeral prayer), which will be held at Buhari’s Daura residence, followed by his interment.
A high-level federal delegation, led by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, is currently in London to finalise repatriation logistics and documentation.
In honour of the former President, seven days of National Mourning have been declared by President Tinubu, beginning from Sunday, July 13, with flags to fly at half-mast throughout the country and in all Nigerian missions abroad. The President has also declared Tuesday, July 15, a national public holiday, to allow Nigerians participate in and reflect on the burial activities.
The weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, earlier scheduled for Tuesday, has been rescheduled to Friday, July 18, in light of the burial events.
Additionally, 25 Federal Executive Council members have been directed to travel to Katsina, where they will take part in the funeral rites and remain in Daura for the Third-Day Islamic prayers, scheduled for Wednesday, July 16.
To enable Nigerians and the international community pay their respects, President Tinubu has directed that Condolence Registers be opened in:
All Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs)
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister Idris also disclosed that messages of condolence continue to pour in from world leaders, underscoring the global impact and diplomatic presence Buhari commanded during his years of service.
The Federal Government has called on all Nigerians to join in prayers and quiet reflection, as the country prepares to lay to rest one of its most influential political leaders and reformers.
“As we prepare to bid farewell to one of Nigeria’s foremost statesmen, the Federal Government urges all Nigerians to join in prayers and reflection for the repose of the soul of our former leader,” the Minister said solemnly.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Major General, first served as Nigeria’s Military Head of State between 1983 and 1985 and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023. His death has marked the end of an era in Nigeria’s political evolution and public service history.
