The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it has fixed N8.5 million as the tentative fare for the 2026 hajj pending final negotiations on all service contracts.
NAN reports that Fatima Usara, NAHCON’s assistant director of information and publication, said in a statement on Thursday that Abdullahi Usman, chairman of the commission, announced the tentative fare after a meeting with representatives of state pilgrims’ welfare boards.
on Thursday agreed on a deposit of N8.5 million as the provisional fare for the 2026 hajj pending final negotiations on all service contracts.
“The NAHCON Chairman after deliberations announced a tentative deposit of N8.5 million as the provisional fare for the 2026 Hajj as agreed collectively, pending final negotiations on all service contracts,” the statement reads.
“Usman also announced that Nigeria has retained its 95,000-slot allocation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Similarly, allocation of slots to state welfare boards remains as it was last year.”
The NAHCON chairman expressed appreciation to President Bola 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.
Usman also commended the government for directing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend its earlier policy mandating credit card-only payments for Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) to pilgrims.
According to him, this could have disadvantaged many of them due to limited awareness and sensitisation.
He encouraged participants to offer frank, constructive evaluations of the 2025 exercise, focusing on what worked, the challenges encountered, and areas for improvement.
Idris Almakura, the chairman of the Forum of States Executive Secretaries and secretary of the Nasarawa state Muslim Pilgrims’ Board, thanked NAHCON for organising the meeting.
Almakura urged the commission to strengthen collaboration with state boards through improved communication and timely clarifications.
He also called for expedited reconciliation of pending matters from the 2025 hajj to ensure a smooth transition into 2026 planning.
