Nigeria Public Holidays 2026
Nigeria has 12 national public holidays in 2026, starting with New Year's Day on January 1, 2026 and ending with Boxing Day on December 26, 2026. 1 of them fall on a Saturday or Sunday this year, so the number of extra days away from the desk depends on the calendar.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1, 2026 | Thursday | Public holiday |
| Id el Fitr | March 20 to 21, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday2 days |
| Good Friday | April 3, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Easter Monday | April 6, 2026 | Monday | Public holiday |
| Worker's Day | May 1, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Id el Kabir | May 27 to 28, 2026 | Wednesday | Public holiday2 days |
| Democracy Day | June 12, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Islamic New Year | June 16, 2026 | Tuesday | Public holiday |
| Birthday of Muhammad (Mawlid) | August 25, 2026 | Tuesday | Public holiday |
| Independence Day | October 1, 2026 | Thursday | Public holiday |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Boxing Day | December 26, 2026 | SaturdayWeekend | Public holiday |
The busiest stretch is April (2 holidays), a good window to plan around if you rely on offices, banks or schools being open. Below you will find the full 2026 list for Nigeria, sorted by date, with the weekday marked for quick planning. Only nationwide public holidays are included here, which keeps the Nigeria calendar clean and comparable.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Nigeria have in 2026?
Nigeria has 12 national public holidays in 2026. The first is New Year's Day on January 1, 2026 and the last is Boxing Day on December 26, 2026.
What is the first public holiday of 2026 in Nigeria?
The first public holiday of 2026 is New Year's Day, which falls on January 1, 2026.
When is New Year celebrated in Nigeria in 2026?
In 2026, New Year's Day in Nigeria is on January 1, 2026.
Are regional holidays included for Nigeria?
No. This calendar lists national public holidays only, so it stays consistent across countries. Holidays that apply to just part of Nigeria are listed separately on the Nigeria holiday hub, together with the regions that observe them.
Do the Nigeria holiday dates change from 2026 to the next year?
Some of them do. 6 of the 12 holidays in 2026 sit on a moving rule (islamic (hijri) calendar and linked to easter), so their date has to be recalculated for every year. The rest keep the same calendar date and only change weekday. Moving ones this year include Id el Fitr on March 20, 2026, Good Friday on April 3, 2026 and Easter Monday on April 6, 2026, plus 3 more.
How far ahead is the Nigeria calendar actually fixed?
Through 2027. The holidays are set in law rather than announced year by year, so the dates repeat predictably. What can still change is a law amendment, a one-off holiday declared for a national event, and the exact day of any holiday on the Islamic calendar, which is confirmed by moon sighting. This table also applies 2 corrections to the underlying open dataset, each checked against the legislation. The full list with sources is on the Nigeria holiday hub.
Which Nigeria holidays are regional, and which move?
The table above is the national calendar for 2026. Some holidays keep the same date every year while others are tied to Easter, to a lunar calendar or to a named weekday, and some parts of the country add their own days off. The Nigeria holiday hub breaks that down: which holidays are fixed, which move and why, and which ones are observed in certain regions only. To compare Nigeria with other countries in the same year, see the 2026 worldwide overview.
Other years for Nigeria
Planning further ahead or looking back? Compare the Nigeria public holiday calendar across years: