A Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has asserted that many Nigerians working in the United Kingdom, despite earning between £2,600 and £2,800 monthly, could in some respects be financially and practically worse off than a Nigerian earning just ₦60,000 at home.
Bwala made the remarks during his appearance on the Morayo Afolabi Brown Show, which aired on Wednesday.
Detailing the harsh realities of life in the UK, Bwala explained that high living expenses rapidly erode the seemingly attractive salaries. “When they go there and do a job, on average they earn about £2,600 or £2,800 a month. £2,450 goes off. You pay power, internet, TV, rent,” he said, noting that rent alone could cost about £800 even on the outskirts of London.
After accounting for feeding and other essentials, very little is left, forcing many to take on multiple jobs. He linked the resulting stress to reports of Nigerians dying on the streets of London.
**“At the end of the day, what you are left with is not much,”** Bwala said. **“So you are forced to do two, three jobs. That’s why recently you are seeing in London, they say somebody died by the roadside.”**
Comparing the situations, he argued that a Nigerian earning ₦60,000 at home enjoys greater relative comfort due to lower costs for basic services, family and community support systems, and better prospects for acquiring assets. “That 60,000, at least Auntie Abike can loan you money. Uncle Soso and Soso can support you,” he said, adding that social services in Nigeria cost far less than in the UK.
While acknowledging better infrastructure and healthcare access abroad, Bwala maintained that the Nigerian worker has a clearer path to buying a car or building a house, whereas the UK-based professional may struggle for decades.
**Response to ‘Japa’ Concerns**
Bwala was responding to an audience member, Moyo Alabi, who highlighted the large crowds at the Visa Facilitation Services centre in Ikeja, Lagos, and questioned government policies to tackle emigration driven by poverty, insecurity, and unemployment.
He warned that many highly qualified Nigerians who relocate to the UK often end up in low-skilled jobs. “Some of you in Nigeria who think you are suffering, you’re better off than your colleagues that japa five years ago,” Bwala stated.
Citing the experiences of first-class and second-class graduates who pursue further degrees abroad, he said most end up working in care homes. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s modern-day slavery,” he declared, describing the jobs as even less desirable than those of a housemaid.
He recounted meeting a friend working in a warehouse alongside Nigerian PhD and master’s degree holders, all supervised by someone without secondary school education.
**Tinubu’s Healthcare Interventions**
Bwala highlighted some of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to improve living conditions in Nigeria, particularly in healthcare. These include a 50% subsidy on dialysis treatment in federal hospitals and free Caesarean section services.
He noted that kidney-related issues requiring dialysis have become almost pandemic in parts of northern Nigeria, while complications from childbirth remain a major risk in rural areas. “President Bola Tinubu introduced 50% subsidy on dialysis in any federal hospital… Caesarean sections, too… he has now made that free,” Bwala said.
However, he acknowledged that extending such subsidies to private hospitals and broader prescription drugs is currently constrained by available resources.
The comments come amid ongoing public debate about the “Japa” phenomenon and the challenges faced by Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora.
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