Nigeria Celebrates Eid-el-Fitr As Government Declares March 19 and 20th Public Holidays
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has officially declared that the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted on Wednesday evening.
Final Day of Fasting; Thursday, March 19, 2026 (marking the 30th day of Ramadan).
Eid-el-Fitr Day: Friday, March 20, 2026.
The Federal Government has declared Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 as public holidays to allow citizens to prepare and celebrate.
​To cushion the effects of economic hardship during the season, several states launched massive feeding initiatives.
Sokoto State Allocated ₦1 billion for its Ramadan Feeding Programme, targeting over one million meals across 170 feeding centers.
Kano State Operated 115 feeding centers across 44 local government areas. Officials noted that the program also acted as an “economic lifeline,” creating temporary jobs for thousands of youths and women involved in cooking and distribution.
President Bola Tinubu highlighted that this year’s Ramadan coincided with the Christian Lenten season, calling it a “divine sign” for national unity and religious harmony.
​Despite appeals from over 1,000 interfaith religious leaders (led by Pastor Yohanna Buru in Kaduna) for traders to lower prices, food inflation saw a slight “reversal of the disinflation trend” due to heavy stockpiling for the Eid festivities.
High-alert status has been maintained nationwide. In Edo State alone, the police deployed 5,000 personnel and anti-bomb units to ensure safe prayer grounds and celebration venues.
