The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos have announced the remaining public holiday closures for 2026, with both diplomatic missions scheduled to suspend routine public services on eight occasions between August and December.
The Punch reported that the holiday calendar, published on the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria’s website, states that consular services, including visa appointments, passport applications, and notarial services, will not be available on the listed dates.
The first closure will take place on Tuesday, August 25, in observance of Eid-El-Maulud, which marks the birth of Prophet Muhammad and is recognised as a public holiday in Nigeria.
Operations will also be suspended on Monday, September 7, for the United States Labour Day, followed by another closure on Thursday, October 1, to commemorate Nigeria’s Independence Day.
The missions will again shut their offices on Monday, October 12, in observance of Columbus Day in the United States.
In November, services will be unavailable on Wednesday, November 11, for Veterans Day and on Thursday, November 26, for Thanksgiving Day.
Both the embassy and consulate will also close on Friday, December 25, to mark Christmas Day, which is celebrated in both Nigeria and the United States.
The final public holiday closure for the year will be on Saturday, December 26, in observance of Boxing Day, a recognised public holiday in Nigeria.
The embassy advised individuals seeking visas, passports, notarial services, and other routine consular assistance to plan their appointments around the holiday schedule, noting that such services would not be provided on the affected dates.
However, it assured that emergency assistance for US citizens would remain available throughout the holiday periods.
The remaining US Embassy and Consulate public holiday closures for 2026 are:
Date
Day
Holiday
Observed by
August 25, 2026
Tuesday
Eid-El-Maulud
Nigeria
September 7, 2026
Monday
Labour Day
United States
October 1, 2026
Thursday
Nigeria Independence Day
Nigeria
October 12, 2026
Monday
Columbus Day
United States
November 11, 2026
Wednesday
Veterans Day
United States
November 26, 2026
Thursday
Thanksgiving Day
United States
December 25, 2026
Friday
Christmas Day
Nigeria and United States
December 26, 2026
Saturday
Boxing Day
Nigeria
