Rabat – Astronomy calculations predict the first day of Ramadan 2025 to fall on Saturday, March 1 in Nigeria.
According to Hamariweb, the last day of Sha’ban, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar, is set to fall on Friday, February 28. This means that the crescent moon of Ramadan is expected to be observed on Friday night, with the first day of the holy month falling on Saturday.
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, with months beginning when the crescent moon is sighted after sunset.
Months in the Islamic calendar last either 29 or 30 days, which is the time needed for the moon to orbit around the sun.
Moon sighting committees across the world scan the sky on the 29th day for the crescent moon to determine the start and end of Islamic months. Based on sightings, they announce whether the new month begins the following day or if the current month completes 30 days.
The holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims abstain from food and drinks from dawn until sunset.
Nigeria is a secular country with a mixture of Muslim, Christian, and indigenous animist beliefs. Estimates suggest that more than 80 million Nigerians are Muslim, roughly 50% of the country’s population.
Like the rest of Muslim populations across the world, Ramadan is a time of reflection and spirituality for Muslims in Nigeria. As an opportunity to get closer to Allah, they observe it with increased prayers, good deeds and charity.
Muslims typically break their fast (iftar) with dates. However, in Nigeria they commonly break their fast with local fruits before having a full evening meal consisting of eggs, bread, fried yam, plantain, and roasted corn.
