Nigeria, March 19 -- Muslims in Nigeria will continue the Ramadan Ramadanon Thursday after the crescent moon marking the beginning of Shawwal 1447 was not sighted on Wednesday evening. This confirms that the Islamic festival, Eid-el-Fitr, will be observed on Friday, 20 March.

This was confirmed by the Sultan of Sokoto and head of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) on Wednesday night.

However, the Nigerian government had already declared 19th and 20th of March as public holidays to mark the Islamic festival.

Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi Arabian authorities also announced that the new moon was not seen anywhere in Saudi Arabia, meaning the month of Ramadan will continue on Thursday to complete 30 days.

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