Sultan declares Friday Eid-el-Fitr after Moon fails to appear

The Sultanate Council of Sokoto has confirmed that Eid-el-Fitr will be celebrated across Nigeria on Friday, March 20, 2026, after the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan was not sighted.

The decision was announced in a statement issued by the council’s Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in collaboration with the National Moon Sighting Committee. The committees reported that no credible sightings of the Shawwal crescent were recorded anywhere in the country on Wednesday, which was the 29th day of Ramadan.

“Thursday, March 19, 2026, shall therefore be observed as the 30th day of Ramadan 1447AH,” the statement said.

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has officially announced that the 2026 Eid-el-Fitr celebrations will commence on Friday.

The declaration follows the non-sighting of the crescent moon (Shawwal 1447AH) on Wednesday evening, which marked the 29th day of the holy month of Ramadan.

Consequently, the Sultanate Council, in coordination with the National Moon Sighting Committee, has mandated that Thursday, March 19, 2026, shall serve as the 30th day of Ramadan to complete the lunar cycle.

The announcement was contained in a statement released by Sambo Wali Junaidu, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs for the Sultanate Council.

The committee confirmed that after extensive monitoring across the country, no credible reports of the new moon were received on Wednesday.

“The Sultan of Sokoto has approved the declaration of Friday, March 20, as the day for Eid-el-Fitr,” the statement noted.

“His Eminence congratulates the Muslim Ummah on the successful completion of the fast and urges sustained prayers for national unity, peace, and progress,” it added.

In alignment with the religious calendar, the Federal Government of Nigeria has declared Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, 2026, as public holidays.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, speaking through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Magdalene Ajani, extended warm greetings to the Muslim faithful.

The Minister emphasized the significance of the month-long fast, one of the five pillars of Islam, as a period of spiritual reflection, discipline, and empathy for the less fortunate.

Nigeria’s announcement aligns with the decision made by authorities in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Supreme Court earlier confirmed that since the crescent was not sighted on Wednesday, Thursday would be the final day of Ramadan, with the “Blessed Eid al-Fitr” beginning on Friday.

The timing of Eid-el-Fitr is dictated by the Islamic lunar calendar, where months begin and end based on the physical sighting of the moon.