President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has cautioned that the escalating tensions in the Middle East could push Nigeria and other African nations toward adopting pandemic-style work-from-home policies if the situation worsens.
Dangote issued the warning on Monday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the latter’s residence in Ikoyi, Lagos. He voiced strong concerns about the ripple effects of fluctuating global oil prices on African economies already weighed down by debt.
The industrialist stated, “If this thing doesn’t de-escalate, you know, normally we in Africa, we don’t have any reserves in terms of savings.
“And so, people normally go out and look for money for the next day or for even the same day. Some of them, if they don’t work that day, they won’t eat.”
Pointing to global responses to energy-related pressures, Dangote referenced Indonesia’s approach, where workers have been directed to operate on a four-day work week, with authorities considering a shift to full remote work similar to measures seen during the COVID-19 period.
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“In some countries today, what they’ve done, they asked everybody to work from home because they cannot afford it.
“I think Indonesians also only go to work four days a week. And they will look at the situation if it doesn’t improve, they will ask everybody not to go to work anymore.
“We will do like that time of COVID, where people will work from home,” Dangote stated.
He warned that Africa risks bearing a heavier burden from a crisis it has little control over, especially as rising costs may outpace governments’ ability to adjust wages.
(Vanguard)
