This was made known in a statement signed by Hajiya Fatima Usara, Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, NAHCON.

She said the visit was to conclude service agreements ahead of the 2026 Hajj.

Usara said that the trip was part of preparations in line with the operational calendar released by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, MoHU.

The Saudi authorities had earmarked September 6 to September 23 (15–29 Safar 1447H) for early contracting and payment for Mashair (camps).

They fixed September 23 and September 24 (1–2 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1447H) as the deadline for contracting essential services such as transportation and accommodation.

In addition, the Ministry announced October 12 (20 Rabi’ al-Thani 1447H) as the final date for the announcement of pilgrims’ registration and submission of data for grouping via the Nusuk platform.

Usara said that the commission had set October 8 as the cut-off date for State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare boards, agencies, commissions and licensed Hajj tour operators to remit Hajj fares for the 2026 pilgrimage.

She said that the idea was to align with the deadlines set by the Saudi authorities.

The commission assured all stakeholders to adhere strictly to the deadlines in order to ensure smooth operations and guarantee a successful Hajj experience for Nigerian pilgrims,” she said.

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The announcement is contained in a statement issued by NAHCON Assistant Director Information and Publication, Hajiya Fatima Usara, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Usara said, “NAHCON has successfully concluded the return airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the 2025 Hajj exercise.

“The final flight departed Jeddah today at 10:30 a.m. approximately carrying 87 pilgrims back to Kaduna State. The return leg operation spanned 17 days after the start on June 13.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, in his farewell address to the pilgrims, expressed profound gratitude to Allah for granting Nigeria a smooth and successful Hajj exercise.

He attributed the success to the spirit of unity and cooperation demonstrated by State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards officials, airline operators and other service providers, as well as obedience of the pilgrims to laid down guidelines.

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The chairman urged the returning pilgrims to continue praying for Nigeria to overcome its challenges and to remember the nation’s leaders in their prayers.

He also reminded them that Hajj served as an opportunity to build meaningful relationships which foster peace and harmony, encouraging them to sustain the ties of friendships they established during their pilgrimage.

According to him, NAHCON would continue to improve in its mandate for Nigerian pilgrims in line with global best practices.

Source: NAN

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The commission said the final inbound transportation of Nigerian pilgrims will be shifted to July 2 due to unforeseen disruptions.

NAHCON said this in a statement issued by its Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Hajiya Fatima Usara, in Abuja on Thursday.

Usara said, “NAHCON wishes to inform the public, particularly 2025 Hajj pilgrims, their families and stakeholders, that the return leg Hajj airlift operations has improved significantly with carriers securing an increase in slot allocations.

“Nigeria’s carriers have since June 22 been allocated up to seven flights per day at the ratio of 2-2-2-1.”

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The NAHCON spokesperson said the general pace of operations had been slower than anticipated due to post Hajj airspace congestion and flight cancellations for various reasons.

“However, despite the increase in slots, the return airlift of pilgrims may not be concluded by June 28 as earlier projected.

“This may not be possible until Tuesday, 2nd July 2025- approximately six days away, barring any further unforeseen disruptions.

“Out of the total 41,668 Nigerian pilgrims airlifted to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj, over 27, 316 have already been transported back to Nigeria.”

According to her, this number excludes multitudes that returned to the country through regular flights due to their urgent demands at home.

“Of the remaining number of pilgrims, Max Air has 6,019 with aircraft capacity of 1,120 daily having two wide bodied aircraft with 560 seats each.

“UMZA Aviation Services is left with 4,850 passengers divided between two aircraft with 484 seats capacity and 312 totaling 796.

“FlyNas has 2,480 pilgrims left with a carriage capacity of 819 passengers daily.

“Air Peace is left with 1, 635 pilgrims with an aircraft of 315,” she said.

According to her, NAHCON remains determined to facilitate the earliest possible return for all pilgrims.

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NAHCON said this in a statement by its Assistant Director, Information and Publications Division, Hajiya Fatima Usara.

Usara said that the fire incident occurred at Imaratus Sanan Hotel at noon on Saturday, while Nigerian pilgrims were fulfilling obligations in Mina.

“NAHCON regrets to inform the public of a fire incident that occurred earlier Saturday around 12:00 noon (KSA time), at one of the hotels accommodating Nigerian pilgrims on Shari Mansur Street in Makkah.

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“The affected hotel, Imaratus Sanan, was hosting about 484 pilgrims from six Nigerian Private Tour Operator Companies. Thankfully, no lives were lost, and all pilgrims are safely in Mina.

“Immediate emergency response by Saudi authorities and the hotel management helped to contain the fire swiftly and prevent it from spreading all over the building,” Usara said.

According to her, following the incident, the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh, visited the location promptly to assess the situation and ensure that the welfare of the affected pilgrims is prioritised

She said that Saleh was accompanied by Commissioner, Policy Personnel Management and Finance, Alhaji Aliu Abdulrazak, and Deputy Makkah Coordinator, Director Alidu Shutti.

Meanwhile, Saleh ordered immediate relocation of the affected pilgrims to a new accommodation.

The NAHCON chairman commiserated with the affected pilgrims, while assuring that the commission would provide every possible support within its capacity to cushion the impact of the incident.

He expressed thanks to Allah that no life was lost in the unfortunate incident.

He promised that NAHCON would work with the affected tour operators to ensure that pilgrims were relocated and provided with the necessary assistance.

The chairman and his team appreciated the prompt response of the Saudi emergency services and the cooperation of the hotel staff in managing the situation.

Source: NAN

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Assistant Director, Public Affairs, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Mrs Fatima Usara,  disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

She said the extension was in response to the heartfelt concerns raised by religious clerics, State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies, Commissions, Governors and other stakeholders regarding closure of 2024 Hajj registration.

“The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is pleased to announce Federal Government’s approval for an extension of the deadline.

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“The new date is set for Jan. 31, providing an additional opportunity for individuals to participate in this sacred pilgrimage.

“The overwhelming request for extension from various religious communities underscores the significance of ensuring accessibility to a broader spectrum of the faithful eager to embark on the spiritual journey of Hajj.”

Usara said NAHCON was confident that before expiration of the new deadline, with the support of its sister agencies, the commission would have determined the total cost of 2024 hajj.

“The extension therefore provides a window for new registrant to do so and by the end of January; those who need to balance up payment would be able to do so as well.

“NAHCON seizes this chance to remind intending pilgrims and other stakeholders that the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has slated Feb. 25 as end date for signing all contracts, signaling the end of payments into IBAN accounts.

“With this extension, NAHCON has barely a month to finalise payment of all Hajj deposits into its IBAN account for the 2024 Hajj,” Usara said.

She stated that the extension, even though overstretched NAHCON’s preparatory timeline, reflected the commission’s chairman, Malam Jalal Arabi’s commitment to accommodating the concerns of stakeholders.

“Arabi expressed gratitude to religious leaders, state boards, and governors for their advocacy on behalf of the pilgrims.

“He described this collaborative effort as a testament to the shared commitment to facilitating a meaningful and inclusive Hajj experience for all.

“He prayed all Hajj handlers would utilise this opportunity well for success of 2024 Hajj operations,” she added.

Source: NAN

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Mrs Fatima Usara, Assistant Director, NAHCON, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Usara explained that the development resulted from the thorough screening of the respective companies after meeting the requirements for the hajj license.

She said that part of documents required for eligibility include certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the International Air Transport Association Certificate, IATA.

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Usara said, “Others are accredited staff and principal officers with no record of criminal conviction, presentation of evidence of owning N30 million minimum share capital, possession of standard corporate office and evidence of having operated eight years of Umrah successfully or two years of Hajj operations.

“A N25 million refundable security deposit must also be submitted. The purpose of this is to protect the interest of the registered pilgrims in case of contract violation or other infringements.”

She said that a total of 155 companies applied out of which 58 were initially successful while 97 companies were disqualified.

Usara added, “But given room for appeal, 80 companies appealed and out of this number 52 companies met the criteria for qualification making a total of 110 private operator companies that resultantly qualified.”

She said that the commission was holding further discussions with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Usara stated that the discussion centred around the ministry’s earlier policy to prune down the number of tour operators that would participate in the 2024 hajj operation from Nigeria and other parts of the world.

Source: NAN

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