A funeral in Nigeria celebrates life — and grapples with some ugly realities

By Emmanuel Akinwotu

Published October 5, 2025 at 8:00 AM EDT

Extortion and exploitation at the gravesite amplify grief for many Nigerians.

Emmanuel Akinwotu

Emmanuel Akinwotu is an international correspondent for NPR. He joined NPR in 2022 from The Guardian, where he was West Africa correspondent.

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