Abuja: The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards agreed on a provisional deposit of N8.5 million for the 2026 Hajj. This decision was made pending final negotiations on all service contracts, as disclosed by the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, in a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Hajiya Fatima Usara.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Prof. Usman announced the tentative deposit during a strategic post-Hajj meeting with Chairmen and Secretaries of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards. The meeting aimed to review the 2025 Hajj operations and initiate preparations for 2026. Usman also confirmed that Nigeria retained its 95,000-slot allocation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and that the allocation of slots to state welfare boards remains unchanged.
Alhaji Idris Almakura, Chairman of the Forum of States Executive Secretaries and Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Muslim Pilgrims’ Board, expressed gratitude to NAHCON for organizing the meeting. He emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration between NAHCON and state boards, calling for improved communication and swift resolution of pending issues from the 2025 Hajj to facilitate a seamless transition into planning for 2026.
In his opening remarks, the NAHCON CEO acknowledged President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support to Nigerian pilgrims and the commission. He noted the Federal Government’s intervention that allowed Hajj carriers to accept payments in Naira, protecting pilgrims from foreign exchange volatility. Usman also praised the government’s directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend its policy mandating credit card-only payments for Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) to pilgrims, which could have disadvantaged many due to limited awareness.
Prof. Abubakar Yagawal, Commissioner in charge of Planning, Research and Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS), led discussions on the 2026 Hajj Calendar. Commissioner Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, discussed operational matters, including the potential rollover of contracts for the four airlines that operated during the 2025 Hajj, citing time constraints and bureaucratic challenges relative to the Saudi calendar and its expectations from participating countries.
The meeting was attended by all executive members of the Forum of States’ Muslim Welfare Boards, including Deputy Chairman Alhaji Aliyu Faruku Yaro (Executive Secretary, Kebbi State) and Malam Abubakar Salihu, Secretary of the Forum and Executive Secretary of Adamawa State.