Nigerian Public Holiday Calendar

Official Nigerian public holidays for 2025, 2026 and 2027 — national, Christian and Islamic. Shows the next public holiday with days-away countdown. Filter by type. Includes verified Eid dates confirmed by the Nigeria High Commission.

public-holidays.tool
ⓘ Islamic holiday dates (Eid) are approximate and subject to moon sighting confirmation by the Sultan of Sokoto. Fixed holidays (National, Christian) are gazetted. Source: Nigeria High Commission Ottawa, qppstudio.net.
2026 Key Islamic Holiday Dates
Eid el-Fitr
Fri 20 Mar 2026
+ Sat 21 Mar (public holiday)
Eid el-Kabir
Wed 27 May 2026
+ Thu 28 May (public holiday)
Eid el-Maulud
Tue 25 Aug 2026
+ Wed 26 Aug (public holiday)

Nigeria's 2026 Public Holidays

Nigeria observes 14 public holidays in 2026 — two fewer than some years because Eid el-Kabir falls close to Democracy Day. The full list:

  • 1 January — New Year's Day (National)
  • 20–21 March — Eid el-Fitr + Public Holiday (Islamic)
  • 3 April — Good Friday (Christian)
  • 6 April — Easter Monday (Christian)
  • 1 May — Workers' Day / Labour Day (National)
  • 27–28 May — Eid el-Kabir (Sallah) + Public Holiday (Islamic)
  • 12 June — Democracy Day (National)
  • 25–26 August — Eid el-Maulud + Public Holiday (Islamic)
  • 1 October — Independence Day (National)
  • 25–26 December — Christmas Day + Boxing Day (Christian)

Why Democracy Day Is June 12 (Not May 29)

Democracy Day in Nigeria was originally observed on May 29 — the date of the first presidential handover in 1999. In 2018, President Buhari signed a proclamation recognising June 12 as Democracy Day instead, to honour the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election widely believed to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola. June 12 is now a gazetted national public holiday. Some older calendars and tools still show May 29 — this is incorrect.

Islamic Holiday Dates Are Approximate

Eid el-Fitr (end of Ramadan), Eid el-Kabir (Sallah) and Eid el-Maulud (Prophet's Birthday) follow the Islamic lunar calendar. Their dates depend on the sighting of the crescent moon, confirmed by the Sultan of Sokoto in Nigeria. The dates shown are calculated estimates — the actual observed dates may shift by one day. The Federal Government officially announces the dates once the Sultan's sighting is confirmed. Nigerian banks and federal offices close on Eid days.

How Public Holidays Affect Business

All gazetted public holidays are non-working days for federal government employees. Banks are closed. Stock Exchange is closed. Most private sector businesses also close, though this is not legally mandated for private employers. When a public holiday falls on a Saturday, the Federal Government may or may not gazette the following Monday as a substitute — this is announced on a case-by-case basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eid el-Kabir 2026 in Nigeria is expected to fall on Wednesday 27 May 2026, with Thursday 28 May as the public holiday. These are approximate dates based on Islamic calendar calculations. The Sultan of Sokoto will confirm the exact date after moon sighting. Both days are gazetted public holidays in Nigeria. Eid el-Kabir is also called Sallah, Id el-Kabir or the Feast of Sacrifice.
Eid el-Fitr 2026, which marks the end of Ramadan, is expected on Friday 20 March 2026, with Saturday 21 March as the public holiday. This is based on Islamic calendar projections — the actual date depends on moon sighting confirmed by the Sultan of Sokoto. Ramadan 2026 is expected to begin around late February 2026.
Democracy Day was changed from May 29 to June 12 by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018. June 12 commemorates the 1993 presidential election — considered the freest and fairest in Nigerian history — in which Chief MKO Abiola won but whose results were annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida's military government. The date was officially gazetted as a national public holiday by the Federal Government. Some older calendars still show May 29 which is no longer correct.
Nigeria has 14 official public holidays in 2026, counting each day separately (including the day-after holidays for Eid celebrations and Boxing Day). The breakdown is: 4 national holidays (New Year, Workers' Day, Democracy Day, Independence Day), 4 Christian holidays (Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas, Boxing Day), and 6 Islamic holidays (Eid el-Fitr × 2, Eid el-Kabir × 2, Eid el-Maulud × 2). All are gazetted by the Federal Government.
Yes for federal public holidays — Section 18 of the Labour Act requires that employers grant workers gazetted public holidays. If an employee works on a public holiday, they are entitled to extra pay (usually at least one and a half times the normal rate). Some states also observe state-specific holidays that may not be on the federal list. Private companies may grant additional leave beyond the gazetted holidays at their discretion, but cannot require employees to work on public holidays without compensation.

Related Tools

📶
Data Plans
Compare data bundles
📱
Bank USSD Codes
All bank USSD codes
⏰
Countdown Timer
Count down to any date
📅
Date Difference
Days between dates