The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that private-sector operators will handle 30 per cent of Nigeria’s Hajj operations in 2027 as part of a three-year phased transition arrangement secured with Saudi authorities.
The development was disclosed at a two-day professional capacity-building programme for licensed Hajj and Umrah tour operators held in Kano and Lagos aimed at strengthening operators’ preparedness regulatory compliance and service delivery ahead of the 2027 pilgrimage.
In a statement on Monday NAHCON’s Head of Information and Publications Division Shafii Sani Mohammed said the initiative was designed to prepare Nigerian operators for changes in the global Hajj industry particularly reforms driven by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the emerging business-to-business (B2B) model.
The two-day programme known as the Professional Certificate Programme in Hajj/Umrah Operations and Pilgrim Service Management is organised by the Hajj Institute of Nigeria (HIN) in collaboration with the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) and the Hajj and Umrah Tour Operators Association of Nigeria (HUTON).
Declaring the programme open NAHCON Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf said the training would equip operators with the professional knowledge and skills required to adapt to the evolving international pilgrimage management system.
He explained that the emerging B2B model was expected to shift more responsibility for Hajj pilgrim management to private-sector operators making professional competence accountability and effective regulatory oversight increasingly important.
Yusuf said the three-year transition arrangement would give Nigeria time to strengthen its regulatory framework and prepare licensed operators for their expanded responsibilities.
He urged participants to maintain high professional standards and ensure that commercial interests did not supersede pilgrims’ welfare.
‘The welfare of pilgrims must remain above commercial considerations’ the chairman emphasised reaffirming NAHCON’s commitment to professional certification digital transformation and effective regulation of the Hajj and Umrah industry.
Also speaking the Rector of the Hajj Institute of Nigeria Professor Muhammad Nasirudeen Maiturare described professional training as essential to modern pilgrimage management highlighting the need for operators to develop expertise in corporate governance risk management operational coordination and international service standards.
Maiturare also highlighted the institute’s academic initiatives to strengthen professional capacity in the sector including an MBA in Hajj Operations Management delivered in collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and a National Diploma in Hospitality and Hajj Management developed in partnership with the National Board for Technical Education.
The programme features sessions on professional ethics integrated operations management lessons from the 2026 Hajj leadership conflict resolution pilgrim welfare and collaboration with Saudi service providers.
According to NAHCON the capacity-building initiative is expected to improve operators’ readiness for the 2027 pilgrimage and support efforts to build a professional competitive and pilgrim-centred Hajj and Umrah industry in Nigeria.
The Commission’s phased transition plan places greater responsibility on licensed operators. Their preparedness adherence to regulatory standards and commitment to pilgrims’ welfare are expected to be critical to the successful implementation of the reforms.