President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with President Joe Biden of the United States of America and the Albright family over the passage of the first female United States Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.
The president’s condolence message is contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, on Thursday in Abuja.
Buhari, who also condoled with the global diplomatic community, said that he had pleasant memories of his meeting with the international diplomat at Washington in 2015.
He recalled the warmth and savvy of a woman who excelled in a turf hitherto considered the exclusive preserve of men.
“She helped shape and steer Western foreign policy after the Cold War. She will be sorely missed,” the president said.
He recounted the exploits of the woman who first served as US Ambassador to the UN under President Bill Clinton, and later as Secretary of State.
According to the president, it is to her eternal credit that she championed human rights and democracy round the world.
The president noted that the deceased raised funds for Democratic presidential hopefuls and co-chaired the Independent Global Commission on Justice, Security and Governance, along with Nigeria’s Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, in what was known as the Albright-Gambari Independent Commission.
He also recalled that the late Albright was the convener of Aspen Ministerial Forum of former Foreign Ministers drawn from all over the world, among others.
Buhari saluted the mentoring which Albright gave younger diplomats, most of whom were now at the peak of their careers.
He prayed that her soul would rest in peace, “even as America and the world continue to relish her services to humanity.’’