Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has called on the Nigerian government to revise the official workweek, arguing that current arrangements disadvantage Muslim citizens who observe Friday prayers.
In a video posted on his verified Facebook page, Omokri noted that while Sunday is universally granted as a day off for Christians, Muslims are required to work on Friday—Jumu’ah—a day of religious significance. He emphasized that, prior to colonial influence, many Muslim communities observed Friday as a rest day.
To address this inequity, Omokri proposed a shift in working hours: starting the workday earlier from Monday through Thursday and closing by midday on Fridays. According to him, such an adjustment would allow Nigerians to attend Friday prayers without reducing productivity or impacting the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“I don’t think it is fair for the Muslim Ummah for us to have Friday as a working day in Nigeria. Originally, before colonialism, it was not like that,” Omokri said.
He added,
“Now we have Sunday as a non-working day and Friday as a working day. I think that we can achieve a compromise…. start work at 7:30 a.m. on Mondays to Fridays and then on Friday we close at 12 o’clock…. That way, there would be a more equitable balance of our workday lives in Nigeria.”
