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Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has faulted Nigeria’s workweek structure, saying it is unjust to Muslims who must work on Fridays which is their sacred day of worship, while Christians enjoy Sunday as a national rest day.
Omokri, in a post shared on his X handle , said it was discriminatory that Friday, which holds significance for Muslims because of the weekly Jumu’ah congregational prayer, is not recognised as a partial work-free day, whereas Sunday is nationally observed as such for Christians.
To address the imbalance, the socio-political commentator proposed that government and employers consider adjusting work hours during the week.
According to him, workers could begin work earlier from Monday to Friday around 7:30 a.m and close by noon on Fridays to allow Muslims attend prayers without disrupting productivity.
He stressed that such an arrangement would ensure equity between Christians and Muslims while maintaining the country’s economic output.
Omokri also linked the issue to Nigeria’s educational calendar, noting that schools often shut down for Christian festivities like Christmas and Easter but rarely adjust for Muslim observances. He recalled that some northern states sometimes close schools during Ramadan to enable students participate in fasting and other religious duties.
He urged Christian groups not to oppose such adjustments, warning that doing so could fuel resentment and lead to retaliatory demands from Islamic groups.
According to him, promoting fairness in work and academic schedules would strengthen religious harmony in the country.