The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will close on Thursday, January 9, to honor the passing of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The mission made the announcement on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday.
In its statement, the mission said, “The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Thursday, January 9, in honor of former President Carter’s passing. We remember former President Jimmy Carter, a tireless advocate for peace, democracy, and human rights.”
Carter, who passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at the age of 100, served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He was widely admired for his post-presidential humanitarian efforts, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
The late president’s body was transferred to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday in a grand military ceremony. Following a full day of ceremonial travel from his native Georgia, his flag-draped casket arrived at the snow-covered Capitol, where it will lie in state until a national funeral later this week.
A live broadcast by PBS showed members of the public as they passed through the Capitol’s rotunda, pausing to pay their respects in a moment of silence. The funeral procession, which began at the U.S. Navy Memorial — a tribute to Carter’s military service aboard submarines — retraced the route he took during his inauguration parade, culminating in the Capitol, where his body will lie in state until Thursday.
