•Hajj
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has set N8.5 million as the tentative fare for the 2026 Hajj exercise.
A statement by NAHCON’s Assistant Director Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara, said the fare was announced after a post-Hajj meeting with Chairmen and Secretaries of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards to review the 2025 Hajj operations.
Usara said the fare is pending upon final negotiations on all service contracts, reports Daily Trust.
She added that Nigeria also retained its 95,000-slot allocation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and allocation of slots to state welfare boards remains as it were last year.
She quoted NAHCON’s Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, as expressing appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his steadfast support to Nigerian pilgrims and the Commission.
He highlighted the federal government’s intervention that enabled Hajj carriers to accept payments in Naira, shielding pilgrims from foreign exchange shocks.
The Commissioner in charge of Planning, Research and Statistics, Information and Library Services ( PRSILS), Prof. Abubakar Abubakar Yagawal, led discussions on the 2026 Hajj Calendar while Commissioner Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, led discussions on operational matters.
Particularly, Prince Elegushi opened the floor for discussions on the possible rollover of contracts for the four airlines that operated during the 2025 Hajj, citing time constraints and bureaucratic hurdles juxtaposed with the Saudi calendar and its expectations from Hajj participating countries.
This, he said, will give room for Nigeria to book airlift slots early.
