Bank Holidays in Nigeria 2025

Bank Holidays in Nigeria: In Nigeria, a bank holiday is a nationwide public holiday. The name applies to all public holidays in Nigeria, whether they are established by legislation or publicly announced by government declarations through the minister of interior.

The word “bank holiday” stems from the belief that banks usually close on those dates.

LIST OF BANK HOLIDAYS IN NIGERIA IN 2025

Bank Holidays in Nigeria

New Year’s Day

In the Gregorian calendar, New Year’s Day marks the start of a new year, and it occurs one week after Christmas Day.

Excluding Israel, all countries that use the Gregorian calendar celebrate New Year’s Day as a public holiday. This means it is the most commonly acknowledged public holiday in the world.

Good Friday

On Good Friday, the Friday preceding Easter, Nigeria declares a national holiday. On this day, Christians remember Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death.

Other countries follow the Orthodox calendar, which means that Good Friday may fall on a separate day in some years.

Easter Monday

Christians believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified and resurrected, and his time on earth and doctrines constitute the cornerstone of Christianity.

Easter Monday is the Monday after Easter Sunday, and it is a Christian observance.

In many areas, it was once known as Easter Week, but in the nineteenth century, it was shortened to a one-day celebration.

Workers Day

The People Redemption Party (PRP) government of Kano State designated May Day as a national holiday in Nigeria in 1980. On May 1, 1981, the government declared it a public holiday.

May 1st is an international holiday, commonly associated with celebrating the achievements of the labor movement. Known as International Workers’ Day or May Day, it is observed as a bank holiday in over 80 countries.

Eid al-Fitr

The Festival of Fast-Breaking, also known as Eid al-Fitr, is a major religious holiday observed by Muslims around the world that commemorates the conclusion of Ramadan, the Islamic sacred season of fasting.

The holiday commemorates the end of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting that Muslims observe throughout the Ramadan period.

Many people refer to Eid al-Fitr as “the Festival of Breaking the Fast.” Fasting from sunrise to sunset throughout the entire month of Ramadan (“Sawm”) is among Islam’s five pillars.

The content of the Qur’an is said to have been unveiled to the Prophet Muhammad all through the month of Ramadan, according to Muslims.

Read: Public Holidays in Nigeria 2025

Children’s Day

Every year on May 27th, Nigeria observes Children’s Day to promote social unity, raise awareness among children, and improve their welfare.

Parents, educators, nurses, doctors, political figures, civic organization activists, religious and cultural authorities, business leaders and media practitioners, as well as youth and children themselves, may all have a role in making Children’s Day meaningful to their cultures, communities, and nations.

Children’s Day provides every one of us with an inspiring starting point for advocating for, promoting, and celebrating children’s rights. Which we can then translate into discussions and activities that will help children live in a better society.

Nigerian Democracy Day

Nigeria observes Democracy Day as a federal holiday every year on June 12th. Previously, the country celebrated it on May 29th.

The holiday honours the nullified June 12th, 1993 national election.

Nigeria has commemorated May 29th as Democracy Day since 2000.

On May 29th, 1999, Nigeria restored an elected civilian administration for the second time in its history after years of military rule, electing General Olusegun Obasanjo as President.

President Buhari announced in June 2018 that Nigeria would begin celebrating Democracy Day on June 12th starting in 2019.

The federal government believes that the nullified presidential election of June 12, 1993, is a more befitting cause for Democracy Day than the events of May 1999.

On June 12th, 1993, millions of Nigerians voted in a national election to exercise their constitutional will. The election was widely assumed to have been won by MKO Abiola, the Social Democratic Party’s flag bearer. Who ran against Maman Tofa of the National Republican Convention.

Even though foreign observers largely described the elections as fair and transparent, the results were nullified by then-military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida due to various irregularities.

To honour the annulled election, some governments have designated June 12th a public holiday in recent years.

Independence Day

Nigeria observes Independence Day annually on October 1st. On this day in 1960, Nigeria gained independence from British authorities.

Around one-fifth of Africa’s population is Nigerian, making it the largest country on the continent.

Christmas Day

Over 2 billion people (roughly 1/3 of the world’s population) will mark Christ’s birth on 25th December.

According to religious culture, Christmas Day honours the birth of Jesus, which occurred on December 25th, 1 BC. In many countries across the world, December 25th is a bank holiday. If the 25th of December falls on a weekend, a nearby workday will be substituted as a holiday.

Conclusion

Workers and everyone else look forward to these bank holidays as a much-needed chance to relax and recharge. It’s a break from the everyday hustle, giving people time to unwind and spend quality moments with family and friends. Whether it’s a quiet day of rest, a fun family gathering, or a celebration of national achievements, these holidays allow everyone to refresh, feel re-energized, and make lasting memories with loved ones. So people always look forward to these holidays