Tag: Saudi Arabia

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has revealed that Saudi Arabia has significantly reduced the number of camp slots available for Nigerian pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj, following the country’s underutilisation of its quota during the 2025 exercise. In a statement released on Thursday by the Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Fatima Usara, NAHCON said Nigeria, which was allocated 95,000 slots, now has only 66,910 approved spaces on Saudi Arabia’s NUSUK Masar portal for camp accommodation. According to the statement titled “NAHCON, States Discuss Hajj Costing and Other Critical Issues; Ministry Briefs NAHCON on Tour Operators,” the commission warned that the cut would have serious implications for states and licensed tour operators. “The Mashair space reserved for Nigeria’s pilgrims on the NUSUK Masar portal is actually 66,910 slots for the 2026 Hajj. This means that out of the 95,000 slots allocated, only 51,513 are available for state pilgrims and officials, while 15,397 will go to licensed tour operators,” the statement read. The commission explained that the reduction was imposed by Saudi authorities as a penalty after Nigeria failed to fill its full quota in 2025. Although NAHCON had secured 52,544 spaces for state pilgrims in 2025, only 41,218 pilgrims were airlifted under the government quota. An additional 18,000 travelled through private tour operators, leaving more than 35,000 unused slots. During a meeting with State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, disclosed that future allocations would be based on each state’s utilisation during the last Hajj. “States that failed to use their full quota in 2025 will be most affected,” Elegushi warned. NAHCON added that it has held discussions with Saudi authorities, who instructed that each group of tour operators should be allocated a minimum of 2,000 slots and registered on the NUSUK platform. The NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Usman, urged all stakeholders to work in unity to avoid disruptions, saying “unity in this assignment is key to the success of Hajj 2026.” He also stressed the importance of proper medical screening, given Saudi Arabia’s strict health regulations. To reduce the financial burden on intending pilgrims, the commission said negotiations were ongoing to cut some cost components such as cargo handling fees. However, it warned that service providers’ rates would not be arbitrarily reduced to avoid compromising service quality. A board member representing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Adetona Adedeji, promised to relay NAHCON’s appeal for a reduction in the 2% transaction fee charged on pilgrims’ payments. The commission also reminded states of the December 21 remittance deadline and urged them to set earlier internal cut-off dates to avoid delays. It added that a nationwide sensitisation campaign would soon begin to stress the urgency of meeting the deadline. NAHCON confirmed that the 2026 Hajj would adopt the international aviation luggage policy, which allows each pilgrim two 23kg checked-in bags and one backpack as hand luggage. It also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s health restrictions, warning that persons with organ failure, psychiatric disorders, active cancer, pregnancy, tuberculosis, or other communicable diseases will not be allowed entry into the Kingdom.