Ahead of the Eid-el Kabir celebrated across the country last week, the Katsina State government shut down all primary and secondary schools for one-week for staff and students to “enjoy” the 2023 festival with their families. Similarly, against the two days granted by the federal government for the event, the Kano State government also approved one-week Sallah break for all primary and post primary schools in the state. Last year, Kano approved 10 days for the same festival.

We view the extra days granted by the states as ill-advised, unnecessary, and most inappropriate. The overall implication of the extension was that the entire week was rendered work-free, and a major loss for students in the states. A region struggling to catch up with the rest of the country in education should not indulge in such behaviour. According to reports, the education gap between most states in the northern part of Nigeria and their southern counterparts is widening due to several reasons, including the inability of schools to cover syllabus early.

Studies elsewhere have shown that chronic school absenteeism, starting as early as preschool and kindergarten, puts students at risk for poor school performance and school dropout. Students are more likely to succeed in academics when they attend school consistently. It’s hard to build children’s skills and progress if they are frequently out of classes. Besides, students who are not in school on a regular basis are more likely to get into trouble with the law and cause problems in their communities. A state like Katsina whose rural schools are frequently attacked and disrupted by bandits needs all the time to bring all pupils to standard by keeping them in schools. It may not be obvious but successful schools reportedly begin by engaging students and making sure they come to school regularly. The consequences of low attendance are serious for all children and for the community.

But there has been a consistent pattern of abuse of the public holidays act (as amended) in the country. Governors are known to declare impromptu holidays to commemorate largely political events without regard for the negative consequences on the economies of their states. The federal government has also been in breach of the law on several occasions. In 2016, for instance, it arbitrarily increased the Eid-el Fitr holiday from two to three days. Besides, the law says if any holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then only those days shall be for public holiday. This has been breached many times over. Yet, when holidays are declared impromptu, they disrupt long-standing business and even social plans, which may take a longer time to straighten out.

Although under the Public Holidays Act, 1979, the Minister of Internal Affairs has the powers to make some special adjustment, we think that government, at all levels, needs to become more responsible about this matter. The times require that every Nigerian puts in more productive man-hours either in school or at work to revive the withering economy. The federal government should ensure that the letter and spirit of the Public Holidays Act is upheld by streamlining public holidays and making them as definite as they are in other climes.

Accordingly, we urge the federal government and the states to abide by the law, which has established a certain number of holidays known to all and sundry, including New Year Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Workers’ Day (May 1), National Day (October 1), Christmas Day, Democracy Day, and such other days as the minister may declare to be for public holiday in celebration of the Muslim festivals of Eid-el Fitr, Eid-el Kabir, Eid-el Maulud.

There should be an end to frivolous holidays which impinge seriously on national productivity.

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