President Bola Tinubu has paid tribute to the late founding President of the Republic of Namibia, Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, describing him as a warrior who galvanised Nigeria and other African nations to fight for his country’s freedom.
Nujoma was a revered figure who led his country to gain Independence, steering the nation on the path towards democracy and stability. He died on February 8, 2025, at the age of 95 at a hospital in Windhoek, where he had been confined for weeks due to an illness.
Speaking on Saturday during a state burial for the late Namibian leader held at Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek, Namibia, President Tinubu, said that Nujoma’s demise is not an exit from space and time, but the wake of his immortality in the minds of Africans.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Nigerian leader, in the company of several African Heads of Government, joined President Nangolo Mbumba of Namibia at the state burial where he paid Nigeria’s last respect.
Tinubu eulogised the foremost African statesman, saying he was not just a national hero but a warrior who defied oppression and inspired an entire continent.
“Nigeria was not a bystander in the Namibian struggle. When the world turned its back, we stood. When your voice was drowned by the guns of apartheid, we spoke,” Tinubu said.
“We have not come to this sacred ground to bury a man. We have come to enshrine a legacy. We have come to salute a life that was lived not for itself, but for the people, for the land, for the ideals of freedom. For him, Africa stands still today.
“Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma was not just the founding father of a nation that needed a hero; he was a warrior in the age of chains. He looked into the face of oppression in the most dangerous time to do so and declared that no African shall ever be a second-class citizen on his own soil.”
The President praised Nujoma’s leadership beyond independence, noting that he built Namibia from the ashes of occupation and ruled selflessly for his people.
