Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communications, has claimed that a Nigerian earning N60,000 a month is better off than many compatriots who relocated abroad (japa) five years ago.
The Special Adviser to the President spoke during an appearance on the Morayo Afolabi Brown Show, which aired on Wednesday.
He argued that high living costs, underemployment, and a lack of communal support networks overseas make life more difficult for many migrants than for low earners back home.
“Some of you in Nigeria who think you are suffering, you’re better off than your colleagues that japa five years ago,” Bwala said.
Describing the experience of many migrants as exploitative, Bwala said the financial burden of living abroad often leaves workers with little disposable income despite relatively high monthly earnings.
“As far as I am concerned, it is modern-day slavery,” he stated.
According to him, many workers earn between £2,600 and £2,800 each month, but a significant portion of their income goes toward rent, utility bills, internet services, transportation and food.
“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.
Bwala maintained that some Nigerians earning modest salaries at home may still enjoy a better support system than those living overseas.
“That ₦60,000 earner can still get support from family and friends, while many abroad have nobody to fall back on,” he added.
