The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has urged Muslims across the country to search for the crescent moon immediately after sunset on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, corresponding to 29 Sha’aban 1447 A.H.

This was as the faithful in Sokoto State, where the United States struck on Christmas 2025, targeting militants, to banish thoughts of terror that had plagued the region.

President-General of NSCIA and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, in a statement signed by the Secretary-General of the council, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, pointed out that the National Moon Sighting Committee (NMSC), in consultation with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), had put facilities in place to monitor and report credible sightings.

According to the statement, if the crescent is sighted on Tuesday evening, the Sultan of Sokoto would declare Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as the first day of Ramadan 1447 A.H.

Sokoto state is home to the Sultan, the spiritual head of Muslims in Nigeria, who typically announces the beginning of Ramadan in the West African country, during which Muslims fast for 29 to 30 days.

Largely spared insurgency and banditry, unlike other states, Muslim-majority Sokoto was the site of surprise U.S. air strikes on December 25, which Nigerian authorities said targeted “two major Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves” in the state’s Tangaza district.

The Abu Hurairah Central Mosque in the state capital was filled to capacity on Friday, February 13, when AFP visited. Hundreds of people, including children, defied the sweltering heat for prayers.

With Ramadan so close, the imam emphasised brotherhood, charity and togetherness. Elsewhere in the city, religious leaders gathered at a government-hosted “capacity-building” workshop ahead of the fasting.