Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has released its latest consumer spending insights for the Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr period in Nigeria, based on the Visa Consulting & Analytics Retail Spend Monitor. The data reveals a significant increase in spending on Visa premium consumer cards, rising 20% year-over-year, supported by higher travel and everyday retail spending.
Spending Patterns Shift During Ramadan
Spending patterns shifted notably during Ramadan, with a peak around Eid Al-Fitr. Total spending increased by 25 percentage points during the Eid period compared to the preceding days. Specifically, spending on Visa premium consumer cards rose 20% year-over-year, with the spend share increasing by 10 percentage points. This surge was driven by higher expenditures on travel, everyday retail, and food-related categories.
Inbound Travel Spend
During Ramadan, spending by international visitors using Visa premium consumer cards in Nigeria increased by 40%. Notably, spending from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada also grew by 40%.
Outbound Travel Spend
International travel spending from Nigeria on Visa premium consumer cards rose by approximately 20%. Booking behavior leaned toward shorter lead times, with 70% of trips booked within one month of travel. Spending to destinations such as the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and France increased by 40%.
Ramadan Spending Behavior
Spending behavior during Ramadan reflected both pre-month stock-up and in-month in-store activity. In the week preceding Ramadan (February 12-18), food and grocery spending rose 25% compared to the prior week (February 5-11). Additionally, spending activity occurred later in the day, with late-night spending (1am–4am) up 35% compared to non-Ramadan weeks.
Spending Peaks Around Eid Al-Fitr
Spending peaked around Eid Al-Fitr, with total spending up 25% during the Eid period (March 16-19) compared to the preceding days (March 12-15). During Eid, spending on food and restaurants increased 80% compared to the preceding days.
Insights from Visa Executives
Andrew Uaboi, Vice President and Country Manager for Visa in West Africa, commented: “The Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr period saw higher spending across travel and everyday retail categories, reflecting both inbound visitor activity and sustained local spending. These insights highlight how consumer behaviour shifts during key seasonal moments and underscore the opportunity for businesses to respond with more relevant and seamless commerce experiences.”
The VCA Retail Spend Monitor was produced by Visa Consulting & Analytics, capturing total retail, travel, and experience-related activity during the Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr period (February 20 – March 20, 2026), based on a subset of VisaNet data and complemented by survey-based estimates for other payment methods.
Nicolas Khoury, SVP and Head of Visa Consulting & Analytics for CEMEA, added: “The VCA Retail Spend Monitor provides a view of how consumer spending evolves across the Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr period, from changes in travel patterns to shifts in everyday spending. These insights help issuers and merchants better understand seasonal behaviour and design offers and experiences that remain relevant as consumer needs change.”
