Following the recent presidential directive for a downward review of the earlier fares announced for the 2026 Hajj, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Thursday met with officials of State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards to harmonise the exchange rate to be used for all Hajj 2026 cost computations.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Monday last week, informed NAHCON management that, following the strong performance of the Naira against the dollar, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed that the 2026 Hajj fares be reviewed downward.
NAHCON had earlier announced N8,118,333.67 for intending pilgrims from the Maiduguri/Yola zone, comprising Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe states, while those from other northern states would pay N8,244,813.67.
Intending pilgrims from southern states are to pay N8,561,013.67. Muslim faithful from the zone paid N8,784,085.59 for the 2025 Hajj.
Speaking at Thursday’s consultative meeting, NAHCON Chairman/CEO, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, called for unity in the assignment for Nigeria’s Hajj operations to succeed again in 2026.
He not only reiterated but also appealed to state executive secretaries to take the issue of medical screening for their intending pilgrims seriously, given the importance Saudi Arabia attaches to it.
The commission disclosed that efforts were ongoing to negotiate reductions in certain cost components, such as cargo handling charges, to ease the financial burden on intending pilgrims.
However, the Hajj Commission emphasised that service providers’ rates would not be arbitrarily reduced, as that could affect the quality of services pilgrims are expected to receive. The providers, it noted, may only offer services commensurate with payments made.
The meeting recommended a separate engagement with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to reduce its charges on pilgrims, while the board member representing the CBN in NAHCON, Dr Adetona Sikiru Adedeji, pledged to convey NAHCON’s request to the CBN on the possibility of reducing the 2% charge imposed on pilgrims’ transactions.
NAHCON Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel Management and Finance (PPMF), Aliu AbdulRazak, announced at the meeting that Professor Usman had approved the transfer of funds to the CBN as they were being received from the states, in order to take advantage of the favourable exchange rate.
Meanwhile, NAHCON informed the state boards at the meeting that the space received for Nigerian pilgrims at the Masha’ir (holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah) on the NUSUK Masar portal was actually 66,910 slots for the 2026 Hajj, as against the 95,000 earlier allocated to Nigeria.
A statement by NAHCON Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Fatima Sanda Usara, stated that the implication of this was that while 95,000 slots were allocated to Nigeria, the actual number that could participate in the 2026 Hajj was 51,513 for states and other officials, while 15,397 would go to licensed tour operators.
According to her, ‘It was revealed that Saudi Arabia reduced Nigeria’s camp slots to this figure of 66,910 on the portal due to underutilisation of slots in the previous year.
‘The Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, revealed that earlier allocations will be reversed based on each state’s utilisation during the 2025 Hajj as well.’
She added that NAHCON requested states to submit the number of registered pilgrims to confirm if it aligns with the commission’s projections for pilgrim registration, to facilitate commensurate planning.
She further stated that states were reminded of the new deadline of 21 December for remittances, adding that each state may set an internal deadline to ensure all funds were received and transferred to NAHCON before the deadline.
‘To ensure timely payments, NAHCON will embark on nationwide sensitisation for states and pilgrims to highlight the urgency and importance of meeting the deadline,’ she stated.
In another development, NAHCON announced that this year’s Hajj would adopt the standard international luggage policy, allowing each pilgrim two 23kg checked-in bags and one backpack as hand luggage.
The commission also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s strict medical requirements for pilgrims and reemphasised that individuals with organ failure, neurological or psychiatric disorders, dementia, pregnancy, active cancer undergoing chemotherapy, tuberculosis, or other communicable diseases would not be allowed entry into the Kingdom.
The new measures introduced by Saudi Arabia, according to the board member representing the Ministry of Health on the NAHCON board, Dr Saidu Dumbulwa, were aimed at reducing the risk of disease transmission, mortality, and the healthcare burden on Saudi authorities.
He therefore recommended that medical screening should henceforth be conducted only by designated hospitals, and that specific persons of integrity should be authorised to sign off on medical certifications, which would then be countersigned by the state’s Chief Medical Director to curb forgery.
NAHCON then informed the states that visa issuance would be linked to the medical certificates, which would be verified at the point of entry, warning that all medical regulations must be strictly adhered to, as any violation would hold Nigeria collectively accountable.