By Ameh Gabriel
President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, has paid his respects to the late former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 82.
In a solemn visit to the Nigerian High Commission in Lusaka, President Hichilema signed the condolence register in honor of the late Nigerian leader, describing Buhari’s passing as a great loss not just to Nigeria but to Africa at large. The Zambian President was warmly received by Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires, Mrs. Chinyere A. Epelle, alongside other officials of the diplomatic mission.
President Hichilema was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Mulambo Haimbe; the Permanent Secretary for International Relations and Cooperation, H.E. Mrs. Etambuyu Gundersen; and the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mrs. Cheswa Silwizya.
The visit underscored the long-standing diplomatic ties and brotherly relations between Zambia and Nigeria, highlighting the mutual respect and solidarity that both nations have maintained over the years.
Late President Muhammadu Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s head of state from 2015 to 2023, died at a private clinic in the United Kingdom. His remains were flown back to Nigeria and interred in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State, in accordance with Islamic rites.
President Hichilema’s gesture has been widely commended as a mark of African unity and leadership solidarity in times of mourning.
