Nigerian banks, including Access Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Zenith Bank, will shut their physical branches across the country on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary.

The federal government declared the date a public holiday, and the Nigerian Exchange Group's 2026 trading calendar also lists October 1 as a non-trading day on the Exchange.

Stanbic IBTC said:

"Please note that our branches will be closed on Thursday, 01 October 2026, in observance of the Independence Day holiday."
Advertisement

"We will be back to serve you as usual on Friday."

Customers were advised to use the bank's ATMs, @ease Wallet, internet banking, mobile app and USSD service for their banking needs.

Optimus Bank closes banking halls

Optimus Bank also notified customers that its banking halls would be closed.
"Please note that our banking halls will be closed on Thursday, October 1st, 2026, in obser-vance of Independence Day," Optimus Bank said in its notice."

FG marks Nigeria's 66th Independence Day

The federal government, through the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, congratulated Nigerians at home and in the diaspora and called on citizens to reflect on the values of unity, patriotism, peaceful coexistence and mutual respect.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Magdalene Ajani, issued the statement through the ministry’s official X handle on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

He noted that this year's Independence Day anniversary is being celebrated under the theme, "From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria's Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity."

Tunji-Ojo said:

"As we celebrate 66 years of our independence, we should always remember that there is hope for our country and our diversity is our strength, and our collective determination re-mains the foundation upon which a stronger and more prosperous nation will be built."

The minister also urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from the country's founding fathers and work towards building a nation that future generations would be proud to inherit.

NDIC issues fresh warning to customers of 46 closed banks

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has issued a strong warning to depositors and the general public following the revocation of the oper-ating licences of 46 microfinance banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The agency urged Nigerians to avoid carrying out any form of transaction with the affected financial institutions, stressing that the banks have ceased operations and are no longer legally permitted to offer banking services.

The warning comes barely a day after the CBN announced the withdrawal of the licences of the microfinance banks.