The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, has said some Nigerians earning as little as ₦60,000 monthly are better off than many of their counterparts who relocated abroad in search of greener pastures.
Bwala made the remark during an appearance on The Morayo Show, where he described the realities faced by many Nigerian migrants as “modern-day slavery.”
According to him, many highly educated Nigerians living abroad are engaged in low-skilled jobs and spend a significant portion of their earnings on rent, transportation, utilities, feeding, and other living expenses.
“Some of you in Nigeria who think you are suffering, you’re better off than your colleagues that japa five years ago. As far as I am concerned, it is modern-day slavery,” he said.
He explained that although many migrants earn between £2,600 and £2,800 monthly, the high cost of living in countries such as the United Kingdom leaves them with little disposable income, forcing some to take on multiple jobs to survive.
Bwala argued that Nigerians earning modest incomes at home often benefit from family and community support, a social safety net he said is largely unavailable to many living abroad.
The presidential aide also defended the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, highlighting interventions such as the 50 per cent subsidy on dialysis treatment in federal hospitals and free caesarean section services in public health facilities.
He added that the Federal Government plans to expand healthcare support and subsidise more medical services and prescription drugs as government revenue improves.
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