International Day of Workers also known as May Day has its origin in the United States when workers protested harsh working conditions in the 19th century. It is used to commemorate the achievements of the labor movement- changing from 16 to 8 working hours, and it is marked as a public holiday in over 80 countries worldwide.

Workers Day was first celebrated in Kano State, Nigeria. The day was declared a holiday by the then People Redemption Party (PRP) government of Kano State in 1980. It became a national holiday on May 1, 1981.