Nigeria’s public holidays are set by the Public Holidays Act, and the Federal Government declares them each year through the Ministry of Interior. The list below is generated from the same calendar the rest of this site uses, so it moves on by itself every year.
The dates
- Thursday 01 January 2026 — New Year's Day
- Thursday 19 March 2026 — Eid al-Fitr
- Friday 20 March 2026 — Eid al-Fitr Holiday
- Friday 03 April 2026 — Good Friday
- Monday 06 April 2026 — Easter Monday
- Friday 01 May 2026 — Workers' Day
- Thursday 28 May 2026 — Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- Friday 29 May 2026 — Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
- Friday 12 June 2026 — Democracy Day
- Wednesday 26 August 2026 — Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
- Thursday 01 October 2026 — National Day
- Friday 25 December 2026 — Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December 2026 — Boxing Day
- Friday 01 January 2027 — New Year's Day
- Wednesday 10 March 2027 — Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- Thursday 11 March 2027 — Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
- Friday 26 March 2027 — Good Friday
- Monday 29 March 2027 — Easter Monday
- Saturday 01 May 2027 — Workers' Day
- Monday 17 May 2027 — Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- Tuesday 18 May 2027 — Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
- Saturday 29 May 2027 — Presidential Inauguration Day
- Saturday 12 June 2027 — Democracy Day
- Sunday 15 August 2027 — Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
- Friday 01 October 2027 — National Day
- Saturday 25 December 2027 — Christmas Day
- Sunday 26 December 2027 — Boxing Day
Why the Eid dates are marked estimated
Eid-el-Fitr, Eid-el-Kabir and Eid-el-Maulud follow the Islamic lunar calendar. In Nigeria the date is fixed by the Sultan of Sokoto, who announces it when the new moon is sighted - usually a day or two ahead. The Federal Government then declares the days off.
The dates above are calculated, so they can be a day out. Do not book a flight or a wedding on the strength of one. Watch the news in the last few days before.
When a holiday falls on a weekend
When a holiday lands on a Saturday or a Sunday, the Federal Government often declares the following Monday a holiday instead. It does this by announcement, case by case, so this site does not guess at it: the substitute day is not on the list above until it has been declared.
What closes
- Federal and Lagos State offices close, including the passport and licensing offices.
- Banks close their branches. Transfers, apps and ATMs keep working.
- Most private offices close, though not all; your contract decides.
- Markets, shops and restaurants mostly open, and some do their best trade of the year.
The traffic
The days around a holiday are worse than the holiday itself. The evening before Christmas, Eid or the New Year, roads out of Lagos - the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in particular - fill early, and the same is true of the return. If you are travelling, leave at dawn or not at all.
Within Lagos, the holiday itself is often the calmest day of the year to cross the city.
December
December in Lagos is a season, not a set of dates. “Detty December” brings concerts, weddings, returning diaspora and the heaviest traffic and highest prices of the year, peaking between Christmas and New Year. Book flights, venues and drivers early, and expect everything to take longer.