Niger governor bars civil servants from wearing kaftan, babanriga

The Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has banned workers in the state civil service from wearing native wears like Kaftan, Babanriga and flowing gowns during work hours

The ban takes immediate effect and applies to both male and female workers.

However, civil servants are allowed to wear traditional attire on Fridays, which is also the Jummat prayer day.

Bago announced the ban on Saturday during the presentation of land development and preparation equipment at the Brains and Hammers Rice City, Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Farm, Chakwa.

Handing down the directive, the governor said civil servants must dress like workers who work to create wealth and not noblemen.

The governor, who spoke in the Hausa language was captured in a video that went viral.

He explained that his government was committed to changing the narrative and orientation that civil service was all about sitting in offices with flowing gowns and nice clothes, expending public money and doing nothing to create wealth.

He said the youth, civil servants, politicians and traditional officeholders must all go back to the farm.