CSO to NAHCON: Refund ‘excess payments’ made by 44,000 pilgrims for 2025 hajj

Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a civil society organisation (CSO), has called on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and state pilgrims’ boards to refund the alleged excess payments made by more than 44,000 pilgrims during the 2025 hajj.

In a statement signed on Monday by Ibrahim Muhammad, its national coordinator, the group said financial reconciliations for the 2025 exercise had been completed, noting that refunds should begin without delay.

The organisation said each pilgrim is entitled to an average refund of between N400,000 and N437,000, citing a discrepancy between the exchange rate used to compute the 2025 hajj fare and the actual rate at which service payments were made.

The IHR said the 2025 fare was calculated at an exchange rate of N1,600 per dollar, resulting in northern pilgrims being charged $4,704.18 and their southern counterparts $4,908.18, pushing total costs above N8 million.

The group said when NAHCON paid for hajj services between February 13 and 15, 2025, the official exchange rate had dropped to between N1,507 and N1,520 per dollar.

It stated that the difference between the rate used to charge pilgrims and the lower rate used for service payments resulted in an excess of approximately N80 to N93 on every dollar in each pilgrim’s fare.

The CSO added that exchange rates throughout February and March “did not exceed N1,507–N1,535”, the period during which all hajj service payments were concluded.

The group estimated that about 44,000 pilgrims who paid in full before the February 10 deadline are each owed around N437,000.

It stated that NAHCON had earlier acknowledged the possibility of refunds and indicated that any payments would be made after the completion of the 2025 hajj reconciliations.

“We understand that the 2025 Hajj fare was computed using higher estimated rates to avoid the possibility of asking pilgrims to pay more. The payment for services was eventually effected with a lower exchange rate below the projected sum,” the statement reads.

“Other countries where overpayments occurred have already refunded their pilgrims. Nigeria should do the same as a mark of transparency and accountability.”

The organisation said a refund would help affected pilgrims recover part of their expenses at a time when many struggled with the economic pressures of performing the pilgrimage.

It urged NAHCON and state pilgrims’ boards to jointly process the refunds and ensure timely disbursement to all eligible pilgrims.