Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has called on the Federal Government to reconsider Nigeria’s official workdays, arguing that the current system creates an imbalance for Muslims.
In a video shared on his verified Facebook page on Friday, Omokri said the present work schedule unfairly affects Muslims, since Sunday is already set aside as a rest day for Christians, while Friday an important worship day for Muslims remains a full working day.
“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 stated.
He explained that prior to the colonial era, many Muslim communities across Nigeria observed Friday as a day of rest and worship.
However, the introduction of the colonial calendar reshaped the nation’s work structure, creating a system that left little room for balance between the two major religions.
According to Omokri, the Federal Government could adopt a more inclusive model without affecting Nigeria’s economy.
He suggested that working hours could be adjusted to start earlier from Monday to Thursday, enabling offices to close by noon on Fridays.
“What we can do is that instead of work beginning on Mondays all the way to Friday at 9am or 8am, we can start work at 7:30am on Mondays to Fridays and then on Friday we close at 12 o’clock.
So the time we are going to lose on Friday we are going to gain it back from Monday to Thursday.
That way, there would be a more equitable balance of our workday lives in Nigeria,” he added.
Omokri further stressed that such a system would allow Muslims to attend Jumu’ah prayers without disrupting workplace productivity or reducing Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Moreover, Omokri pointed out that compromise remains essential in a multi-religious country like Nigeria, where peace and inclusivity are tied to national development.
