Public Holidays in Nigeria for 2019
The labour Act in Nigeria primarily governs the employees, and the release of public holiday 2019 in Nigeria is a prerequisite by principle. Furthermore, the statement of the public holiday is equal to arbitrary change by the government authorities whenever it’s deemed necessary. According to the Employment Act, it’s the right of an employee to have a day off during a public holiday. Although it’s expressly indicated to that effect, employers have the prerogative to get into an agreement with their employees regarding working on a public holiday.
The Purpose Of The Employer Knowing Employee Public Holiday
Every company that seeks to employ staff must be aware of the employee public holidays. The law that outlines public holiday 2019 in Nigeria states categorically that every employee is entitled to an annual holiday with entire pay for a minimum of six working days. Whenever there is a public holiday, some business organisations close down their operations to allow the observance of the day. It means that the employer must plan for the services of the business and the staffing team for continuous running of business activities. Likewise, the public holiday gives the organisation time to allocate finances for compensating workers that may work on a public holiday.
Dates of the Nigeria Public Holiday 2019
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Tue | New Year’s Day |
| 22 Feb | Fri | Special Public Holiday (Elections) |
| 19 Apr | Fri | Good Friday |
| 22 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday |
| 1 May | Wed | Labour Day |
| 4 Jun | Tue | Id el Fitri |
| 5 Jun | Wed | Id el Fitri Holiday |
| 12 Jun | Wed | Democracy Day |
| 11 Aug | Sun | Id el Kabir |
| 12 Aug | Mon | Id el Kabir Holiday |
| 1 Oct | Tue | National Day |
| 9 Nov | Sat | Id el Maulud |
| 25 Dec | Wed | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec | Thu | Boxing Day |
The Employee’s Benefits Of Working On A Public Holiday
The employer, under the labour laws in Nigeria, may resolve to make a public holiday a working day by agreement with each employee. Public holiday in Nigeria is a day-off and can be a working day depending on the nature of the job, among other factors. Anything about working on a public holiday which employee agrees on will entitle to monetary compensation according to the hourly rates or a day off within a fortnight instead of work is done. This law only applies to permanent employees as there is no statutory provision for contract workers.
Doing Business In Nigeria
Nigeria is a hub of many investors around the world and the African continent as a whole. The fact that it is one of the largest economies in Africa is evident in the influx of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The current statistics indicate that the population stands at 150million and would surpass that of the United States by 2050. Now, this means that the Nigerian consumer market is big enough to accommodate any productive businesses produce. Following the inauguration of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council as part of business reforms agenda past several years, the investment environment is friendlier and attractive.
Again, the improvement of transparency and the streamlining of registering businesses is a step in the right direction. The process can now be conducted through the online platform allowing the ease of doing business. Again, the availability of firms as 3E Accounting has continued to ease the process of registration, taxation, and business licensing procedures. Moreover, the tax incentives for companies in specific industries such as the Pioneer Status Scheme that grants tax holiday is commendable and welcoming to investors. Entrepreneurs and employees can now commemorate and national or religious public holiday 2019 in Nigeria whenever it falls due. The Labor Act categorically protects the rights of the workers when it comes to working on public holiday.
Nigeria allows repatriation of capital and interest provided such companies have a Certificate of Capital Importation. For more information, here are the benefits of doing business in Nigeria.
