By Seli Baisie
Parliament has passed the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025, reshaping Ghana’s list of official holidays.
Key changes
- July 1 is now a statutory holiday, to be marked as Republic Day.
- August 4 is dropped from the calendar, while Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day has been renamed Founders’ Day and shifted to 21 September.
- A new Muslim holiday, “Shaqq Day,” will be observed the day after Eid ul-Fitr, fulfilling a National Democratic Congress campaign pledge.
The bill lets the President move any holiday that falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday to the following Friday by Executive Instrument.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak told the House this will create long weekends and help maintain workplace productivity.
MPs sparred over the measure, especially its fast-tracking under a certificate of urgency. Minority members said the process left other pressing issues unattended, but the bill ultimately passed.
With these changes, Ghana’s public-holiday schedule is set for an overhaul once the President signs the amendment into law.
