By Muhammad Nur Tijani

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced Dec. 31, 2025, as the final deadline for the full payment of 2026 Hajj fares by intending pilgrims.

The National Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, disclosed this at a news briefing on Friday in Kano.

Usman explained that the deadline had been strategically fixed to ensure smooth planning and timely preparations for the 2026 Hajj.

He said state Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards were expected to remit 50 per cent of the total fare deposits to NAHCON by Oct. 8, 2025, to retain their allocations.

“Accordingly, by Dec. 31, 2025, every pilgrim must have completed payment.

“These deadlines are not just administrative measures, but pillars that guarantee early camp booking, stronger contracts, and efficient service delivery,” he said.

Usman, who returned from Saudi Arabia on Sept. 22, said his mission was to secure cost-effective services and better arrangements for Nigerian pilgrims.

“Our task was negotiation, planning, and securing the best services for Nigerian intending pilgrims. Today, I stand before you not with promises, but results,” he said.

According to him, through intense negotiations with state pilgrims’ boards and Saudi partners, NAHCON secured a reduction of over N200,000 per pilgrim in service costs.

“With 66,910 slots allocated to Nigeria, this translates to more than N19 billion in total cost relief secured for Nigerian pilgrims,” he explained.

Usman stated that the achievement aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at easing the financial burden on citizens.

He said the Commission had signed contracts for Masha’ir services with Mashariq Dhahabiyya Company and transport services with Daleel Al-Ma’aleem Company.

The chairman added that accommodation and feeding arrangements in Madinah had also been finalised, securing quality facilities in Markaziyya at competitive rates.

Usman said NAHCON had also inaugurated the 2026 Hajj Tour Operators Screening Committee to ensure only qualified operators participated in the exercise.

“The days of shortcuts and cutting corners are over,” Usman added.

He further disclosed that intensive staff training had commenced to strengthen NAHCON’s workforce ahead of the operations.

“You are aware that 2026 Hajj fares were announced early enough this year to allow intending pilgrims ample time to pay.

“The fare is N8,118,333.67 for Maiduguri/Yola, N8,244,813.67 for Northern states, and N8,561,013.67 for Southern states.

“The success of Hajj 2026 cannot be improvised; it must be built early with discipline, foresight and courage. That is why we engaged, negotiated and acted ahead of time,” Usman added. (NAN)