By DEJI ABDULWAHAB

Prof. Abdullahi Usman, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), on Monday, led a delegation of commissioners and the Secretary of the commission to Saudi Arabia.

According to a statement signed by Hajiya Fatima Usara, Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, NAHCON, this is 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 Sept. 6 to Sept. 23 (15?29 Safar 1447H) for early contracting and payment for Mashair (camps).

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

In addition, the Ministry announced Oct. 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 Oct. 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 assures 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. (NAN)

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