A senior aide to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala said on Wednesday that a Nigerian earning ₦60,000 ($38) per month at home is “better off” than many citizens who emigrated to the UK five years ago, citing high living costs and low-quality jobs abroad.
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communications, made the comments during an appearance on ‘The Morayo Show’.
“Some of you in Nigeria who think you are suffering, you’re better off than your colleagues that japa five years ago,” Bwala said, using the Nigerian slang for emigrating.
Bwala said many Nigerians in the United Kingdom with advanced degrees are working jobs that do not match their qualifications.
He described the situation as “modern-day slavery,” saying degree holders often end up in care homes and warehouses.
“As far as I am concerned, it is modern-day slavery,” he stated.
According to Bwala, such workers may earn about £2,600 to £2,800 ($3,450-$3,715) monthly. But after rent, utilities, internet, transportation and feeding, little is left.
“At the end of the day, what you are left with is not much. So you are forced to do two or three jobs,” he said.
He argued that a ₦60,000 earner in Nigeria benefits from lower living costs and family support networks that many abroad lack.
“That ₦60,000 earner can still get support from family and friends, while many abroad have nobody to fall back on,” Bwala added.
Bwala also defended the Tinubu administration’s social intervention programmes.
“President Bola Tinubu introduced 50 percent subsidy on dialysis in federal hospitals, and cesarean section has been made free in public hospitals,” he said.
He said the government plans to expand healthcare support to more services and prescription drugs “as government resources improve.”
Bwala’s comments drew swift reactions on X, Facebook and TikTok, with many Nigerians at home and abroad disputing the comparison.
Some users at home agreed with the aide, citing the cost of living abroad:
– @NaijaFirst: “Truth. People japa and are doing 3 jobs, still sending money home. ₦60k with family support is not as bad as they paint it.”
– @AbujaDad: “UK rent alone is £1,200. After bills what’s left? The diaspora struggle is real.”
Others, including Nigerians in the diaspora, rejected the claim and criticized the ₦60,000 benchmark:
– @UKNurseLagos: “£2,800 and I can still save and send money home. ₦60,000 cannot pay rent in Lagos for one room. This is insulting.”
– @ToluTalks: “Calling warehouse work ‘slavery’ while people at home can’t afford fuel or drugs is wild. Fix Nigeria first.”
– @DrKemiAB: “I have 2 degrees and work in care. But my kids have free school and NHS. Don’t compare ₦60k to that.”
The hashtag #60kBetter trended briefly in Nigeria on Wednesday evening, with most posts mocking the comparison.
Nigeria is grappling with inflation above 20% and currency depreciation that has eroded wages. The government has however, rolled out targeted subsidies and cash transfers since Tinubu took office in 2023.
Emigration remains high, with data from the National Bureau of Statistics showing thousands of professionals leaving yearly for the UK, Canada and the U.S.
Remittances from the diaspora totaled $20.1 billion in 2025, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Presidency did not immediately provide data to support Bwala’s specific income and cost comparisons.