In life and in death: Nigerians in the UK ask—‘Where is home?’

In an increasingly vocal and connected diaspora community, Nigerians in the UK are engaging in an honest and often humorous conversation about an age-old question: where should I be buried when I die? The debate was sparked by a tweet asking whether people would prefer to be laid to rest in the UK or repatriated to Nigeria.

The replies tell a story of shifting identities, practical realities, and evolving cultural expectations among Nigerians abroad. For many, the answer is simple: “I’m gone, it’s not my problem.”

“I’m actually not bothered about what happens to my body after I leave this earth,” one user, @cee_jayking, wrote. “Make I just make heaven, na my concern.”

Another, @mentusunnaemeja, revealed he had funeral insurance with a UK-based diaspora scheme, stating clearly, “The goal is to go home and rest in peace.”

But not everyone shares that sentiment. The rising cost of international repatriation, the logistics of returning a body, and the emotional disconnect from a distant homeland many left behind as children or young adults are reshaping what “home” means.

“I’d like to be buried where I’ve built my family,” @skinnie_me said. “If my entire family is here, why should I be buried in the village where I know no one?”

For others, cremation has become a preferred option. @genzaza01 stated flatly, “I want to be cremated, I don’t want my body trapped in the ground abeg.”

One user even joked about organ donation and cremation in a humorous but poignant way: “I’m an NHS organ donor, so they know what to do first. Whatever they do with the remaining is up to them,” @fiyinsiku noted.

The conversation captures a complex emotional terrain. While some still see Nigeria as the only place worthy of a final goodbye, others have come to terms with life—and death—abroad. The cultural pull of “going back home” is slowly giving way to more individualised, pragmatic end-of-life choices.

For @iamswaga22, practicality trumps tradition: “£10k wey insurance give, wey your family suppose use guide, you go use am book flight to carry lifeless body back to where ewedu fit mine your skull,” he wrote, half in jest. “Make people use their sense abeg, it’s not all worth the hype to be buried in Nigeria.”

The underlying message? Home is no longer just a geographic location—it’s where the heart, family, and lived reality reside. And for many Nigerians in the UK, that may well be the soil beneath their feet now, not the one they left years ago.