‘Nigerian funeral directors need unified voice to make headway on funeral insurance policy’

The director of MO Funerals International, Olumuyiwa Onikoyi, has advocated for the creation of a unified voice in the funeral industry which can push a united cause that is favourable to the Nigerian government and all stakeholders on funeral insurance policy.

In an interview with the London-certified funeral director, he stated that creating an association for funeral directors in Nigeria will result in a win-win situation for the government, insurance brokers, Nigerians and the directors.

Onikoyi emphasised the importance of funeral insurance policy to include less financial and logistics burdens on the relatives of deceased; ease of doing funeral business; cutting the red tape to give way to modern approaches and reduce risks amongst other benefits.

He said: “To create an enabling environment for funeral directors, the main issue is identifying the strategies which the government will push out. In Nigeria currently, we don’t have a unified funeral directing association which is very important if we want to have a headway and gain the government’s attention. All funeral directors need to have one unified voice that will stand and push the cause of the industry across to the government.”

He also stated that live stream coverage during funeral services is gaining prominence considering the impact of the pandemic lockdown amidst other changes, an encouragement for MO Funerals International who has prior plans to venture into broadcasting on radio transmitters as a means of contributing to social distancing.

However, the reluctance of some clients in Nigeria to foot all bills relating to the effective delivery of the services which is seldom encountered with overseas clients, is proving to be a challenge. In his words, “MO Funerals International has received a lot of success in the areas of live streams during funeral services. We intend getting into broadcasting burial services on AM/FM transmitters so people don’t have to get out of their cars.

“At MO Funerals International, we have been doing drive-by funerals. We once had a young woman that passed away and the family really wanted to have a service, so we did a set up in our parking lot, and more than 10 cars drove by and paid their last respects to the deceased,” he added.

Onikoyi further expressed surprise at African system for not embracing cremation, especially considering the changes which the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to funeral services.

According to him, “…the key reasons why many people are choosing cremation are: separation of family across the US (non-traditional family nucleus); increasing acceptance of the cremation process in our culture; eco-consciousness tendencies in consumers (don’t want to take up precious land space with a traditional burial in a cemetery; etc.

“Pre-planning arrangements culture is also on the rise. The percentage of the population that feels it’s important to pre-plan funeral and cemetery/vaults purchases has jumped up. MO Funerals International pre-need appointments have really picked up. We can send you all you need for the planning of your loved one’s funeral electronically,” he said.

He further added that the idea to venture into the industry came to form when he travelled abroad, though he grew up as a member of Boy’s Brigade. As a Senior Project Manager at the Ministry of Defence in the UK where he was the focal point for bereaved fallen officers, the experience gained and moments shared propelled him to engage in the funereal industry.

“Seeking to promote one-stop funeral directing business in Nigeria, my role as a managing partner is to provide a memorable experience for the deceased’s family to reflect the celebration of their lifestyle even in death via phone or face to face, as well as to build customer loyalty by leveraging interpersonal skills and offering top customer service to our numerous client during the most difficult time of losing their love ones.

“With over 10 years of professional experience in dealing with bereavement across multi-cultural ethnicity around the globe and Nigeria in particular, these tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the arrangements for the funeral ceremony (although not the directing and conducting of the funeral itself unless clergies are not present.

“Funeral directors may at times be asked to perform tasks such as dressing (in garments usually suitable for daily wear), casketing, motor hearse, music, and pall bearing who are the professionals that carry the casket before being interred,” he said.

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