Nigeria Public Holidays
Nigeria has 12 national public holidays in 2026, observed across the whole country. Over the years covered here the calendar draws on 12 recurring holidays. 6 sit on the same calendar date every year, while 6 move (Islamic (Hijri) calendar and Linked to Easter). The same calendar applies nationwide, with no separate regional public holidays in this dataset.
Which public holidays does Nigeria have?
Every recurring national public holiday, how its date is decided, and the date it lands on in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Dates are computed from the rule, so Easter-linked and moon-linked holidays are correct for each individual year.
| Holiday | How the date is set | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Same date every year | Jan 1 | Jan 1 | Jan 1 |
| Id el Fitr | Islamic (Hijri) calendar | Mar 30 | Mar 20 | Mar 9 |
| Good Friday | Linked to Easter | Apr 18 | Apr 3 | Mar 26 |
| Easter Monday | Linked to Easter | Apr 21 | Apr 6 | Mar 29 |
| Worker's Day | Fixed date, can shift | May 1 | May 1 | May 3observed, moved |
| Id el Kabir | Islamic (Hijri) calendar | Jun 6 | May 27 | May 16 |
| Islamic New Year | Islamic (Hijri) calendar | Jun 26 | Jun 16 | Jun 6 |
| Democracy Day | Fixed date, can shift | Jun 12 | Jun 12 | Jun 14observed, moved |
| Birthday of Muhammad (Mawlid) | Islamic (Hijri) calendar | Sep 4 | Aug 25 | Aug 14 |
| Independence Day | Same date every year | Oct 1 | Oct 1 | Oct 1 |
| Christmas Day | Same date every year | Dec 25 | Dec 25 | Dec 25 |
| Boxing Day | Same date every year | Dec 26 | Dec 26 | Dec 26 |
Which Nigerian holidays are national and which are regional?
The 12 holidays above are national: they apply across Nigeria rather than in one area only. This dataset holds no separate sub-national calendar for Nigeria, so there is no regional layer to add. Individual towns and employers can still mark local days that are not national public holidays, and those are not covered here.
Which holidays move each year, and why?
6 of the 12 recurring holidays land on a different date each year. Here is the rule behind each group.
Same date every year (4)
The holiday is tied to one calendar date, so it lands on a different weekday each year but never changes date. In Nigeria this covers New Year's Day, Independence Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Fixed date, can shift (2)
The holiday has a fixed calendar date, but an observance rule can move the day off when it falls on a weekend or next to another holiday. In Nigeria this covers Worker's Day and Democracy Day.
Linked to Easter (2)
The date is counted from Easter Sunday, which is the Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon falling on or after 21 March, so it swings between late March and late April. In Nigeria this covers Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Islamic (Hijri) calendar (4)
The date follows the Hijri lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, so the holiday moves roughly 11 days earlier each year. The final day is confirmed by moon sighting, so no future Hijri date is ever fully fixed and it can move by a day in either direction. In Nigeria this covers Id el Fitr, Id el Kabir, Islamic New Year and Birthday of Muhammad (Mawlid).
Corrections applied to the Nigeria calendar
These dates start from the open date-holidays dataset, which is a good general source but is wrong or incomplete for a number of countries. Every departure from it is listed here with the law or official publication it was checked against, so you can verify it rather than trust it.
| Change | Holiday | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removed | Children's Day | 27 May Children's Day is marked nationally but has never been declared a public holiday by the Minister of Interior under the Public Holidays Act. | Public Holidays Act, Cap. P40, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, ScheduleChecked 2026-07-27 |
| Removed | National Youth Day | 1 November National Youth Day has never been declared a public holiday by the Minister of Interior under the Public Holidays Act. | Public Holidays Act, Cap. P40, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, ScheduleChecked 2026-07-27 |
When is the next public holiday in Nigeria?
The next 4 holidays on the 2026 calendar.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Birthday of Muhammad (Mawlid) | August 25, 2026 | Tuesday |
| Independence Day | October 1, 2026 | Thursday |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2026 | Friday |
| Boxing Day | December 26, 2026 | SaturdayWeekend |
Nigeria public holiday calendars by year
Open a year for the full table with dates, weekdays and long-weekend counts.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Nigeria have?
Nigeria has 12 national public holidays in 2026 and 12 in 2027. The total can differ from year to year because holidays that fall on a weekend sometimes gain a substitute day, and because moon-based and Easter-based dates occasionally shift in or out of a calendar year.
Which Nigerian public holidays fall on the same date every year?
6 of them: New Year's Day (January 1), Worker's Day (May 1), Democracy Day (June 12), Independence Day (October 1), Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26). These are pinned to a calendar date, so only the weekday changes from year to year.
Which public holidays in Nigeria change date each year?
6 do: Id el Fitr, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Id el Kabir, Islamic New Year and Birthday of Muhammad (Mawlid). The reasons are islamic (hijri) calendar and linked to easter, so the Gregorian date has to be recalculated for every year rather than copied forward.
Are there regional public holidays in Nigeria?
This dataset has no separate regional calendar for Nigeria, so the national public holidays listed here apply countrywide. Individual towns can still observe local days that are not public holidays nationally.
What happens when a public holiday in Nigeria falls on a weekend?
Nigeria applies a shift rule to 2 of its holidays, so a date landing on a Saturday or Sunday is observed on a nearby weekday instead. Worker's Day and Democracy Day follow that pattern. We list a moved holiday once, on the day actually taken off, with its calendar date beside it, rather than counting the weekend date and its replacement as two separate holidays.
Where do these Nigerian holiday dates come from?
The dates are computed per year from each holiday's own rule using the open date-holidays dataset. That dataset is wrong or incomplete for Nigeria, so 2 corrections have been applied on top of it, each checked against the legislation or the official publication and listed further down this page with its source and the date it was checked.
How to use this page
Public holidays shape the working year in Nigeria, closing many offices, banks and public services and shifting the rhythm of travel and shopping. If you are scheduling a delivery, a launch or a meeting with a Nigerian team, the table at the top is the quickest check: it shows every recurring holiday side by side across 2025, 2026 and 2027, so you can see at a glance which dates are stable and which need looking up again next year. Where a holiday falls on a weekend and is taken on another day, it appears once, on the day off, with its calendar date beside it, so the totals here match the official ones rather than double counting.
For a single year with weekday counts and long weekends, open the year page for 2025, 2026 or 2027. To compare countries in one year, the 2026 worldwide overview lists every country we cover side by side. Dates come from the open date-holidays dataset and are recalculated per year from each holiday's rule, with 2 corrections applied on top of it against the Nigerian legislation, listed above with sources. Always confirm official dates with a local authority before you commit to travel or contracts.