The most expensive funeral ever held in Ghana is widely recognized as that of Madam Abena Achiaa, mother of business magnate Mr. Nick Adjei Danso Abbeam. The funeral, conducted in March 2016 in Nkoranza, Bono-Ahafo Region, set a new benchmark for opulence and grandeur in Ghanaian funeral traditions.
Madam Abena Achiaa, who passed away on March 16, 2016, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, was the CEO of Achiaa FM in Nkoranza. Her son, Mr. Nick Adjei Danso Abbeam, is a prominent Ghanaian businessman, owning several companies including Ghana Link, Royal Nick Hotels, Nick TC Scan (Ghana and Sierra Leone), and Alic Inspection Company.
The funeral’s extravagance began with the transportation of Madam Achiaa’s body by helicopter from Accra to her hometown, Nkoranza—a rare and luxurious gesture in Ghanaian funerals. Upon arrival, a fleet of luxury Land Cruisers escorted the body to the family residence, emphasizing the ceremony’s grandeur.
She was laid to rest in a custom-made, gold-plated coffin, modeled after Michael Jackson’s Promethean casket. The coffin, imported from the USA, reportedly cost around $75,000, including shipping.
The funeral attracted numerous dignitaries and international guests. Notably, a European associate of Mr. Abbeam donated $200,000. Additionally, Mr. Abbeam’s companies contributed a total of GHC7 billion (in old currency) to the funeral expenses.
The ceremony was graced by high-profile figures, including President John Dramani Mahama, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and representatives from Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Renowned Ghanaian musicians such as Daddy Lumba, Nana Ampadu, and the late Kofi B also performed at the event.
While state funerals, like that of former President John Atta Mills in 2012, were monumental in scale and national significance, they were publicly funded. In contrast, Madam Abena Achiaa’s funeral stands out as the most lavish privately financed funeral in Ghana’s history. It epitomizes the cultural importance placed on honoring the deceased with grandeur and the lengths to which families will go to celebrate their loved ones’ lives.
