Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has called on the Federal Government to review Nigeria’s official workdays, arguing that the current system puts Muslims at a disadvantage.
In a video shared on his verified Facebook page on Friday, Omokri noted that while Christians enjoy Sundays as a rest day, Muslims are still required to work on Fridays, despite its importance as a central day of worship in Islam.
He recalled that before colonial rule, Fridays were widely observed as a rest day in many Muslim communities across Nigeria. To address the imbalance, Omokri proposed a compromise that would allow Muslims to fully observe Jumu’ah prayers without affecting national productivity.
According to him, offices could begin work earlier from Monday to Thursday, creating room to close by noon on Fridays. This adjustment, he said, would not reduce Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as the hours lost on Fridays would be recovered on other weekdays.
“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 believe we can strike a balance. If work starts at 7:30 am from Monday to Thursday, then offices can close by 12 noon on Fridays. That way, Muslims can observe their prayers while the country maintains productivity.”
