CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
In many communities across Anambra State, burial ceremonies have quietly become a source of survival for some residents battling economic hardship in Nigeria.
From Umuchu, Ekwulobia, and Nnewi to Awka, Onitsha, and Ihiala, people now look forward to weekends because that is when free food and drinks are served in large quantities.
With food prices and fuel costs still high in 2026, it was gathered that some households rely on funerals to feed at least once a week.
“To be honest, some of us wait for burial invitations,” said Mrs. Uchechukwu Nwoye of Aguata LGA. “Rice, meat and drinks are free there. At home, things are too expensive to cook every day.”
Market women, okada riders, and students say they attend multiple burials in a month just to get plates of jollof rice, fried rice, or goat meat.
“Fuel is around ₦1200 per liter. Cooking gas is costly. So when there is burial, we go,” said Emeka Obi, a commercial driver in Ekwulobia. “They give food in takeaway packs too. That one will feed us for 2 days.”
Event planners confirm the trend. They say families are now cooking more food than the number of guests because some people come specifically to eat.
“Some families will cook many bags of rice for 400 people,” said Ngozi Eze, a caterer in Onitsha. “They know people will come. If the food finishes early, people will complain.”
Community leaders say the situation shows how tough things have become. What was once purely cultural has now turned into a form of community welfare.
“Burials used to be about honouring the dead,” said Chief Samuel Okafor of Umuchu. “Now it is also where poor people get to eat. That is the reality of the economy”.
Worried by the rising cost and debts people incur as a result of funerals, the Anambra State Government has been pushing to reduce burial expenses through the Anambra State Burial Law 2019 signed by the former Governor, Chief Sir Willie Obiano, also called the “Onye Nwe Ibe Law.”
Under the law, the government banned compulsory levies by town unions, age grades, and community groups during funerals. It also set guidelines to discourage “owambe-style” burials.
Key steps the government has taken:
1. Law Enforcement: Task forces from the Ministry of Local Government now monitor communities to ensure no group imposes fines or multiple levies on bereaved families.
2. One-Day Burial Policy: The state encourages families to do burial, reception, and thanksgiving within one day to cut catering and tent costs.
3. Public Awareness: Through radio, town hall meetings, and traditional rulers, the government is preaching moderation. Clergy are urged to teach against wasteful spending.
4. Support for the Poor: The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare says it is working with PGs to set up community food banks to help vulnerable families, so they don’t have to wait for burials to eat.
“We are not stopping culture, but we must stop people from killing themselves with debt,” said a senior official in the Ministry of Information in Awka. “Burial should be modest, dignified, and affordable.”
Despite the government’s efforts, enforcement remains weak in rural areas. Many families still spend millions to avoid “being talked about”.
The Clergy have also joined the campaign. Rev. Fr. Peter Nnamdi in Nnewi said: “Help the poor directly instead of using burials. That is what will truly reduce hunger.”
For now, free food and drinks at burials remain an unofficial relief programme in Anambra communities, even as the State Government pushes for a culture of moderation.