The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has provided clarifications regarding recent concerns over the fate of some Nigerian intending pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj, explaining that nothing has changed from the earlier guidelines issued by the Saudi Arabian Government.
NAHCON spokesperson Hajiya Fatima Sanda Usara said in a release that the Saudi deadlines significantly affected late remittances by states that failed to abide by the December 2025 guidelines.
The Commission recalled that Nigeria’s Hajj quota was reduced to 50,000 pilgrims. Following this development, NAHCON convened a meeting with State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards and formally withdrew earlier allocations, introducing a first-come, first-served policy based strictly on confirmed payments.
According to the Commission, states that completed their remittances early were allocated camp bookings in line with payments received on or before January 2, the officially communicated deadline. NAHCON emphasised that the deadline was not arbitrary but aligned with Saudi Arabia’s operational calendar and portal requirements.
Hajiya Fatima Sanda Usara noted that some states were able to secure limited additional allocations at a later stage. This was achieved through internal rebalancing from states that had paid in excess of their approved slots.
She said Kaduna and Niger were among the states that benefited from this adjustment.
However, NAHCON stressed that it had repeatedly cautioned stakeholders against late registration, warning that Saudi authorities would strictly enforce timelines. Although the Commission subsequently sought additional slots to accommodate more pilgrims, approval was received only after key Saudi Hajj operational portals had already closed, making further processing impracticable.
The Commission appealed to affected intending pilgrims to remain calm and assured them that any new developments would be communicated promptly.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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