The Federal Government has extended the Eid-el-Fitr holiday by one day in a country weighed down by low productivity.
A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Bassey Akpanyung, said the extension became necessary because of the extra day of Ramadan fasting.
“Following the directive by the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, to the effect that the Ramadan fast continues today (Tuesday) as a result of the non-sighting of the moon, the Federal Government of Nigeria has declared Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th July, 2016 as Public Holiday.
“In making the declaration on behalf of the Government, the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, urged Nigerians to use the period for sober reflections to ensure harmony, unity and peaceful co-existence, while giving full support to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in his sustained effort to pursue socio-economic and political growth of the nation.”
Financial experts on Monday predicted that activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange may remain on a downward trend this week due to the long public holiday.
