We all look forward to the next public holiday in Nigeria for several reasons. However, most persons really don’t know the day that the next holiday is coming up.

If you are in this category, worry not as you will see the full list of public holidays in Nigeria 2020. If for some reasons you are unable to memorize all the public holidays in Nigeria, which every Nigerian is expected to know off-hand, there will be a PDF download link for national holidays in Nigeria at the end of this article.
Types Of Public Holidays In Nigeria
There are 2 major types of public holidays in Nigeria. They are:
- Movable holidays
- Public holidays
What Are Movable Holidays In Nigeria?
Movable holidays are those holidays whose date changes in every year. In other words, the are holidays with no fix date for its observance.
Also Read: how to register a business name in Nigeria
Nigeria’s got a couple of movable holidays which we will highlight presently.
What Is Public Holidays In Nigeria?
Public holidays are those special dates which Nigeria set aside as a work free day, for reasons like the remembrance of special events or people of extraordinary achievements.
Public holidays in Nigeria have relatively stable dates compared to movable holidays.
Full List Of Public Holidays In Nigeria 2020
Below is the full list of public and movable National holidays in Nigeria 2020
S/N | Holiday | Date | Status |
---|---|---|---|
1 | New Years Day | 1st Jan | Public Holiday |
2 | Workers Day | 1st May | Public Holiday |
3 | Children’s Day | 27th May | National Holiday For School Children |
4 | Democracy Day | 12th June | Public Holiday |
5 | Independence Day | 1st Oct | Public Holiday |
6 | Christmas Day | 25th Dec | Public Holiday |
7 | Boxing Day | 26th Dec | Public Holiday |
8 | Mawlid | Not Fixed | Movable Holiday |
9 | Eid al Adha | Not Fixed | Movable Holiday |
10 | Eid Al-Fitr | Not Fixed | Movable Holiday |
11 | Easter Monday | Not Fixed | Movable Holiday |
12 | Good Friday | Not Fixed | Movable Holiday |
National Holidays In Nigeria: A Further Analysis
Below is further details about the public holidays in Nigeria 2020, so you can understand why we chose to celebrate them in the first place.
New Year Day
New year is a very special holiday in Nigeria as well as the rest of the world because in it, we get to thank God for keeping us alive to see a new year. It comes in every 1st of January in Nigeria.
Workers Day
Workers day is the day set aside to remember the contribution of workers globally in the sustenance of humanity. It comes up every 1 May in Nigeria
Children’s Day
On children’s day, every child is free to stay at home to play around since there are no schools on this day. However, school children are mostly expected to go to the stadium for match-pass which is optional anyways. But believe me, children love it a lot. 27 May is the children’s day in Nigeria.
Democracy Day
Democracy day is a special day that is set on June 12 to recognize the day that Nigeria chose to abandon military rule in place of democracy. It was the day that Abiolas election was cancelled. That day became significant in the Nigeria’s path to democratic governance.
Independence Day
The Independence Day of 1 October is the most significant public holiday in Nigeria as it marks the day that Nigeria became free from its erstwhile colonial rulers. It equally represents the day Nigerians remember the hero that fought for Nigeria independence between 1914 and 1960.
Christmas Day
Christmas’ day is the most important public holiday in the lives of Nigerian Christians as it marks the birth of our Lord Jesus. It’s equally a day that Christians set aside for deep meditation on the gift that God gave to humanity which is Jesus Christ.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is the day that mostly comes after the celebration of Christmas. It’s a day when people are expected to box a special gift to the less privilege around them. Which signifies the gift of God to mankind in the person of Jesus Christ.
Mawlid
This is a very special day for Muslims in Nigeria when they celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammed and his ways.
Eid al Adha
Its the day of obedience to the will of Allah for Muslim. On this day, the Muslims celebrate the level the obedience of Ibrahim and his willingness to sacrifice his son.
Eid Al-FitrEaster Monday
In this public holiday, Muslims celebrate the end of their Ramadan, which is their month of fasting and deep spiritual meditation and prayers.
Good Friday
On good friday, Christians celebrate the death of Jesus Christ, as he died for all the sins of mankind. Its a day of great sacrifice.
Easter Monday:
Easter Monday is the day that Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death.
Importance Of Observing Public Holidays In Nigeria
There are many Reason why we observe public holidays in Nigeria. Below are some of the most important reasons:
- Cultural Unity: As many Nigerians come together to celebrate a particular public holiday, this tends to bring them together as one people with one common history. In National holidays like Independence Day, all Nigerians leave their differences aside to celebrate that great day.
- Increase Family Bounding: We are always away from home working to earn some money that we barely have time for personal family bounding. Public holidays in Nigeria help in creating time for families to spend more time together.
- Hobbies: Public holidays gives one the time to engage in those things he or she is so passionate about, like going for gaming or fishing, hunting, etc.
- Travel: During public holidays, we generally have more time to visit friends and family members across borders.
- It’s A Government Policy: Lastly, public holidays emanate from the governing body of Nigeria, hence it’s good to always obey the policies of government
Download The Full List Of Public Holidays In Nigeria Free using this link
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