The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, on Friday described the Late Dr Nelson Mandela former President of South Africa, as an icon of peace for humanity.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Mrs Ayotunde Adesugba, Director of Information in the Presidency.

The First Lady is in Paris to attend The Élysées First Ladies Summit for Peace and Security in Africa.

The statement quoted Jonathan as saying that Mandela was an epitome of peace and compassion – reflecting the principles of African First Ladies Peace Mission.

“The late Madiba, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 jointly with Frederik Willem de Klerk, was a great bridge for promoting peace.

“This is due to his forgiving spirit and the fact that he lived his life in a way that respected and enhanced the freedom of others.’’

The statement also described Mandela as a towering iconic figure in life and a greater figure in death.

“He was a hero of all time who was held in the highest esteem not only by people on the African continent, but the entire world.

“He would be greatly missed but his impact would be felt forever,” the statement said.