20th September, 2024
By Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi
Nigerian musician Seun Kuti has stirred controversy by questioning the huge earnings of footballers in contrast to the lower wages of essential workers like doctors, nurses, and teachers.
During a recent Instagram livestream, Kuti expressed disbelief at how professional athletes earn millions of dollars for playing a sport, while workers who are vital to society receive far less.
He argued that football players should play more frequently to justify their hefty fees, saying, “They say footballers want to go on strike. The football they’re playing is too much. Footballers are paid millions just to chase a ball around a field. For the amount of money they are paid, they should be playing every day. Personally, I know boys who aren’t paid a dime yet they play on the field every day.”
Kuti drew attention to the critical role that essential workers played during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting how they continued working in the face of danger while earning far less than athletes.
He emphasized that society should place more value on these workers, stating, “During COVID, I asked a very important question: how dare we pay footballers more than we pay nurses? How dare humanity create a system and give our allegiance to footballers? How can footballers earn more money than nurses?”
The Afrobeat artiste stressed the idea that football, while entertaining, is not essential.
He pointed out that the world continued without football during the pandemic, but that society would struggle without medical professionals, teachers, and other essential workers.
“If nurses in the world stop working now, do you think the world will continue? If all the doctors go on strike, do you think the world would continue? If all the teachers quit, how many of you can stay at home with your children? Can you teach them yourselves?” Kuti asked.
He further criticized the disparity in pay, suggesting that even some athletes might feel their earnings are disproportionate.
Kuti expressed anger that paramedics, street cleaners, and other workers were forced to keep working during the pandemic, often at great personal risk, while athletes in non-essential roles enjoyed vast wealth.
“But sports is entertainment, so they earn millions yet they want to go on strike. I’m sure they know that what they’re earning is not worth what they’re earning. I refuse to believe they’d be paid that much; nobody can convince me it’s important or worth it,” Kuti concluded.
