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The short answer
Ask the family for a written budget broken into items (mortuary, burial plot or vault, casket, church or mosque, catering, venue, canopies, transport, programmes), agree who pays which items, and pay vendors directly into their own accounts rather than sending one lump sum. Keep every invoice and receipt in a shared folder. Costs vary widely: in 2023 The Guardian reported Lagos burial plots from about ₦200,000 at a public cemetery to ₦3.2 million or more for private sites.
When a parent, uncle or grandparent dies in Nigeria, Nigerians in Australia are often asked for money within hours, sometimes before anyone has agreed the date of the burial. Grief makes it hard to ask questions about money, and those unasked questions later cause the arguments families remember. A simple structure lets you give generously and still know where it went.
The cost items to expect
Every family and community does this differently, and costs depend heavily on city, faith and scale. A typical budget includes:
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Mortuary fees | Usually charged per day; agree the burial date early |
| Burial plot, vault or grave works | Public cemetery, private cemetery or family land |
| Casket and funeral home services | Embalming, dressing, hearse |
| Religious service | Church or mosque fees, offerings, clergy transport |
| Venue, canopies, chairs, sound | Often the largest group of costs at big events |
| Catering and drinks | Scales with the number of guests |
| Printing | Programmes, posters, souvenirs |
| Uniform cloth (aso ebi) | Usually bought by guests, sometimes by the family |
| Transport and accommodation | For family travelling, including from abroad |
| Announcements | Newspaper, radio or online notices |
What plots can cost (reported figures)
The Guardian's June 2023 survey of Lagos burial costs gives a sense of range: a single plot at Atan cemetery reported at ₦200,000 to ₦300,000, about ₦3.2 million for a plot at Ikoyi Vaults and Gardens, and private vaults at another Ikoyi site from ₦12.5 million for a single to ₦35 million for premium. These are 2023 figures and prices have moved since, so ask the cemetery for its current list.
Agreeing who pays what
The fairest arrangements are agreed early and written down. On the first family call, ask for:
- One person in Nigeria to coordinate spending and hold the budget.
- A written budget, item by item, before money is sent.
- Each contributor to take named items (for example, you pay the casket and the canopies) rather than a share of an undefined total.
- A shared folder or chat where every invoice and receipt is posted.
Taking named items is often easier than percentages, because you can pay the vendor yourself and see the receipt.
Worked example (illustrative figures)
Example only: the family's budget is ₦9,000,000. Three siblings abroad and two in Nigeria agree that the two in Australia cover the vault (₦2,500,000) and catering (₦2,000,000), the sibling in the UK covers the mortuary and casket (₦1,800,000), and the siblings at home cover the venue, printing and religious service (₦2,700,000). 2,500,000 + 2,000,000 + 1,800,000 + 2,700,000 = ₦9,000,000. Each pays their vendors directly.
Paying vendors directly from Australia
Ask each vendor for an invoice with their business name and bank account. Confirm the account by phone, on a number found independently, before the first payment, especially for large items. Pay a deposit and the balance on delivery where the vendor agrees. For how the transfer cost works (fee, exchange-rate margin, speed), see sending money from Australia to a Nigerian account.
Funerals attract fraud: people posing as relatives, or messages asking for money to a new account. If a request comes from a number you do not know, call the coordinator before paying.
If you cannot travel
Many Nigerians in Australia cannot get leave, visas for children or affordable flights in time for a burial. Contributing still counts, and families understand. Ask the coordinator to share photos or a live stream, and consider whether your contribution goes to a named item that matters to you, such as the vault or the programme. If a memorial is planned for later, budget separately for it rather than adding to the burial costs.
At the event
If you travel for the burial, remember that spraying naira notes is an offence under section 21 of the CBN Act; a CBN official has described the penalty as six months' imprisonment or a ₦50,000 fine, as Peoples Gazette reported. Families who want to honour the deceased with money often use a donation table or a bank transfer to the family instead.
Records after the funeral
When it is over, the coordinator should share a simple statement: the budget, the actual cost of each item, who paid and the receipts. It closes the matter, answers questions before they become grievances, and makes the next family event easier. Keep your own copy, as it may also matter later if the estate is being settled; see receiving an inheritance from Nigeria.
Where Pryme fits
With naira in a Pryme account you can pay a funeral vendor directly from Australia with Send, and generate a verifiable receipt through VerifyDoc.ai for each payment that the family can check is unaltered (receipts). Converting from dollars, pounds or euros with Swap, the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve.
Questions people ask
How much does a funeral cost in Nigeria?
It varies by city, faith and size. In 2023 The Guardian reported Lagos plots from about ₦200,000 at a public cemetery to ₦3.2 million and more at private sites; catering and venue costs can exceed the burial itself.
How do we share funeral costs between siblings abroad?
Agree a written item-by-item budget and have each person take named items and pay those vendors directly.
Should I send funeral money to one family member?
Paying vendors directly is safer and gives receipts; if you send to the coordinator, ask for receipts for each item.
Is spraying money at a Nigerian funeral illegal?
Yes. Section 21 of the CBN Act makes spraying naira notes an offence.
Sources
- The Guardian Nigeria: Like rent, like burial plots · accessed Oct 2026
- Peoples Gazette: CBN promises prison time for Nigerians who abuse naira · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.