Full List: Nigeria’s Remaining Public Holidays In 2026

With 2026 gradually winding down, Nigerians still have a number of nationwide public holidays to look forward to before the end of the year.

As of September 3, 2026, several major public holidays, including New Year’s Day, Eid-el-Fitr, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Workers’ Day, Eid-el-Kabir, Democracy Day and Eid-el-Maulud, have already been observed across the country.

According to Ireporter Online, the remaining regular nationwide public holidays on the 2026 calendar are concentrated in October and December, with Independence Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day still ahead.

However, as of September 3, the Federal Ministry of Interior had yet to release its specific official declarations for the 2026 Independence Day and Christmas holidays. The ministry traditionally announces such holidays closer to the dates.

The next nationwide public holiday is Independence Day, which will be observed on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The date marks Nigeria’s independence from British colonial rule in 1960, meaning the country will celebrate its 66th Independence anniversary this year.

October 1 is recognised as Nigeria’s National Day under the Public Holidays Act and is observed nationwide. The occasion is typically marked with a presidential address, official ceremonies and other programmes celebrating the country’s history and progress since independence.

With the holiday falling on a Thursday this year, workers who operate a conventional Monday-to-Friday schedule are expected to resume work on Friday, October 2, unless a separate directive is issued by the government or individual employers.

The next major public holiday after Independence Day will be Christmas Day on Friday, December 25, 2026.

Christmas is recognised as a nationwide public holiday under Nigeria’s Public Holidays Act and is observed by Christians to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Despite its religious significance, the holiday applies nationwide irrespective of religious affiliation.

The fact that Christmas falls on a Friday means many workers who ordinarily have weekends off could enjoy a three-day break extending from Friday through Sunday.

The Federal Government has traditionally announced Christmas and Boxing Day holidays through the Ministry of Interior shortly before the festive period. In previous years, such declarations have formally confirmed December 25 and 26 as public holidays.

Boxing Day, which follows Christmas, will fall on Saturday, December 26, 2026, making it the final regular nationwide public holiday currently listed on the 2026 calendar.

However, Nigerians should not automatically expect Monday, December 28, to be declared a public holiday simply because Boxing Day falls on a Saturday.

According to the provisions of Section 5 of Nigeria’s Public Holidays Act, a public holiday falling on a Saturday or Sunday does not automatically result in an additional weekday being granted in lieu. The law also addresses situations where public holidays occur successively on Friday and Saturday, meaning an extra day is not automatically created for the Saturday holiday.

Consequently, Monday, December 28, 2026, should not be regarded as a nationwide public holiday unless the Federal Government specifically announces it.

The government retains the authority under the Public Holidays Act to declare additional special public holidays or alter the observance of certain holidays through a public notice.

Therefore, while Nigerians can currently expect Independence Day on October 1, Christmas Day on December 25 and Boxing Day on December 26, any additional holiday around the Christmas and New Year period will depend on a fresh announcement from the Federal Government.

For now, these three dates represent the remaining regular nationwide public holidays Nigerians can expect before 2026 officially comes to an end.