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<p>By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa</p><div class="kgxad5yo" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>Ramadan is unlikely to commence in Nigeria on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, following astronomical projections that indicate the crescent moon will not be visible on Tuesday evening.</p>
<p>Abubakar Simwal, an astronomer and member of the National Moonsighting Committee of Nigeria, said calculations show that the new moon will be too young and positioned too low on the horizon to be sighted—either with the naked eye or through a standard telescope.</p>
<p>According to Simwal, the astronomical conjunction of the Ramadan moon will occur at 1:01 p.m. Nigerian time on Tuesday, February 17. By sunset that day, the crescent will be less than six hours old across Nigeria, with an average elongation of about two degrees.</p>
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<p>He added that the moon is expected to set approximately nine minutes after sunset nationwide, a window he described as insufficient for visibility under established astronomical criteria.</p>
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<p>“With this data, it is astronomically established that the crescent will not be visible in Nigeria on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, either with the naked eye or with a standard telescope. These calculations are carried out with a high degree of precision,” Simwal said.</p>
<p>Based on the projections, Ramadan is therefore likely to begin on Thursday, February 19, subject to official confirmation.</p>
<p>However, the formal declaration of the commencement of Ramadan rests with the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs under the leadership of the Muhammadu Sa&#8217;ad Abubakar, following the nationwide moonsighting exercise.</p>
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