When Ramadan go start for 2026?

Di first day of fasting for di Muslim holy month of Ramadan for Nigeria and oda African kontris go be either Wednesday, February 18 or Thursday, February 19, depending on whether dem sight di new moon.

Ramadan dey follow di Islamic calendar, wey dey start wit di sighting of di crescent moon. Muslim kontri like Nigeria dey depend on testimony of people wey sight di moon to know wen di month start.

For a well-developed kontri like Saudi Arabia, dem dey use technology to sight di moon, while kontri like Nigeria still dey rely on traditional local sighting to confirm di beginning of di new month.

Muslim pipo dey usually start to look for di Ramadan moon for di end of Sha'aban month, wey sometimes dey end with 29th or 30th day.

For dis year 2026, dem go start to look for di moon on di 29th of Sha'aban, wey match wit February 17 Tuesday, for di geographic calendar.

For one interview wey BBC News Pidgin do wit Sheikh Usman Lere, one cleric and imam for Abuja, e tok say dem go start to look for di moon on Tuesday. If dem sight am, fasting go start on Wednesday for Nigeria.

"Fasting fit start on Wednesday if dem see di moon on Tuesday, wey be 29th of Sha'aban for di Muslim calendar. But if dem no see di moon on Tuesday, fasting go start on Thursday.

"If dem sight di moon, di month of Ramadan go begin and di first day of fasting go be Thursday February 18. Otherwise, Sha'aban go complete 30 days and di first fasting day go be February 19," Lere tok.

For Nigeria, dem dey record testimony of pipo wey sight di moon, and na di Sultan of Sokoto or di spiritual leader of Nigeria Muslim ummah dey decide wen Ramadan go start.

Wen BBC News Pidgin ask who get di responsibility to announce say dem don sight di Ramadan moon, e tok say for Islamic system, na di leader go make di announcement.

"For our system for Nigeria, na di Sultan palace dey announce say fasting go start. No be just one person go gather pipo say dem don see moon. Dem must follow due process reach di Sultan, and e go make di announcement."

E add say, "wen dem announce di sighting of di moon, dem go mention di place wey dem see am, whether na Bauchi, Abuja or Sokoto. From dia, Muslim community go begin fasting."

How many days and hours dey Ramadan, and wetin dem expect from Muslims?

Sheikh Usman Lere tok say Ramadan fit be 29 or 30 days, depending on wen dem sight di new moon. Dat one go also determine di day of Eid al-Fitr, wey dem dey call small Sallah.

"Ramadan fit be 29 or 30 days, e all depend on wen dem sight di new moon. Dat one go also show di day of Eid al-Fitr, wey be 1st of Shawwal month, and e go mark di end of di 29 or 30 days fasting," Lere tok.

During Ramadan, Muslims dey expected to devote demsefs more and double dia ibadah (worship) bicos only Allah know di real reward of fasting, according to Sheikh Lere.

"Di holy month na month wey evri Muslim suppose double im ibadah, bicos even pipo wey don die go wish say dem get chance to come back alive just to do ibadah and seek forgiveness, so dem fit get di biggest reward wey Allah keep by imself.

"Reward of fasting na di only reward wey Allah keep for imself, because fasting get special value for Allah. So e good make every Muslim try harder to increase prayer and ask God for forgiveness."

How many hours be di fasting?

For Nigeria, fasting dey last about 12 to 13 hours evri day from 5:00am to 6:00pm or 7:00pm, because no be too much difference dey between di states for di kontri.

Before any Muslim start di daily fast, e must eat Sahoor; di food wey dem dey chop bifor dawn prayer (Fajr). Sahoor na pre-dawn meal wey Muslims dey eat before dem start dia daily fast during Ramadan. E be sunnah (Prophet tradition) and e get blessing, bicos e dey give person strength for di day and spiritual reward, even if na just water or dates person take.