NIGERIA: Peter Obi Sparks Debate With Call To Replace Church Vigils With Night Shifts For Productivity

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has stirred a lively debate among Nigerians following his recent call to consider turning church vigils into night shifts to boost productivity. 

Obi made the remark during an interview on the Honest Bunch podcast, a clip released on Saturday.

In his comments, Obi argued that Nigeria suffers from poverty and low productivity, attributing these challenges partly to an overemphasis on politics and religion.

“I’m not happy in Nigeria; we can’t continue to breed poverty; that’s not leadership,” he said. 

“We live in a largely unproductive society, which is why the only things that seem attractive here are politics and religion, he added.” 

He suggested that holding night shifts in place of vigils could allow people to focus more on work, observing that too many attend church services every day of the week.

Obi’s remarks prompted swift backlash, including a pointed response from Joshua Mike-Bamiloye, son of the well-known Mount Zion Faith Drama Ministry founder, Mike Bamiloye. 

Taking to X.com on Saturday, Joshua called Obi’s comments “misguided” and “insulting,” suggesting that blaming church attendance for Nigeria’s productivity issues was unfounded.

“Vigils are commonly held on Fridays, right before the weekend. If we want to be productive, why not also ban recreational events, comedy shows, and concerts? In fact, ban every social gathering,” he wrote, further adding, “The hot weather seems to have corroded some minds to the point that they fail to think clearly and address the real problems.”

Obi also drew criticism from other Nigerians, who questioned the practicality and fairness of his suggestion. #sir_enike wrote, “Yet he was present at every major church gathering during the election campaigns last year. Every programme, this man attended while canvassing votes from the same church that he now wants to dismantle. I support him; please, sir, let’s join hands to dismantle it together, so Nigerians wouldn’t have to be divided along religious sentiments engineered by the same politicians.”

Supporters of Obi’s statement, however, also took to social media to voice their agreement. #japhetho tweeted, “The religious aspect is actually true. We need fewer people active in churches and more engaged in being productive.” Another user, #TheAmaizingJosh, added, “The only things working are politics and religion; that is why pastors and politicians are so wealthy. We vote for bad politicians and then go to church to pray for what those politicians are stealing from us!”

Other commentators offered more balanced takes, acknowledging Obi’s point about productivity while also pointing out that night vigils aren’t the sole contributor to Nigeria’s economic issues. #OMatarazi noted, “Actually, he mentioned Monday to Friday, not just Fridays. His point is that holding vigils on work nights could affect productivity since people still need to show up for work the next morning. So, it’s not about blaming the church but acknowledging that frequent late nights during the workweek can really wear people out.”

With reactions to Obi’s comments spanning a wide spectrum, the debate over the role of religion in Nigeria’s productivity is once again in the spotlight, highlighting ongoing discussions about the balance between work and worship in a nation where both are deeply valued