NAHCON laments visa closure as 2,717 Nigerian pilgrims miss 2025 hajj

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has expressed disappointment over Saudi Arabia’s refusal to briefly open its visa portal for Nigerian pilgrims.

On May 28, the commission said discussions were ongoing with Saudi authorities over the reopening of visa issuance for intending pilgrims.

In a statement on Monday, Fatima Usara, assistant director of information and publications at NAHCON, said that despite sustained engagement with the Saudi ministry of hajj and umrah, the commission’s appeal for a temporary window was unsuccessful.

Usara said NAHCON is saddened that 2,717 intending pilgrims were affected by the visa closure but urged them to take solace in the belief that hajj is a divine invitation and not merely a personal aspiration.

“In light of this, NAHCON wishes to console those affected by the visa closure to have faith, knowing that Hajj is an answer to Allah’s call,” the statement reads.

“However, it is also advised that all intending pilgrims should always plan ahead for their Hajj to avoid disappointments.

“It would be recalled that to rescue Nigerian intending pilgrims from missing the Hajj, NAHCON had to intervene in February by securing Masha’ir slots for its Hajj coordinators under the public and private sectors.

“From the beginning of Hajj registration to date, NAHCON facilitated extensions of deadlines four times, beginning with Hajj fare remittance to visa issuance.

“Yet, despite several warnings signalling the end of visa issuance by April 19, 2025, with its attendant consequences, some intending pilgrims came late with their Hajj payments.

“Out of consideration, following numerous requests for the commission to continue accepting Hajj fares, NAHCON formally requested an extension of visa processing, which was graciously approved. However, further access to visa issuance was blocked on May 19, 2025.

“The one-month extension from April 19 provided much-needed relief for some State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards that were still accepting late payments, as well as Tour Operators who were still finalising travel and accommodation plans for their clients.

“Hence, the visa suspension affected 2,717 late-registration pilgrims from both sides. By the time of the visa blockage, 13,217 visas had been granted to Tour Operator Companies out of 14,158 registered pilgrims, indicating strong participation from the private Hajj sector.”

Usara added that NAHCON worked within its legal mandate to accommodate more pilgrims, reinforcing its commitment to boosting the capacity of the private hajj sector.

However, the commission has raised concern over reports that some operators are bypassing official channels to contract Tent A+ services through unauthorised third parties.

NAHCON reiterated that only Rawaf Mina Company is licensed to provide Tent A+ services under official arrangements for the 2025 hajj.

“NAHCON will not bear responsibility for any consequences arising from arrangements made outside this approved platform,” Usara said.

She warned that any engagement with unrecognised vendors could violate Saudi regulations and compromise pilgrims’ welfare.

The commission asked all hajj operators to align their activities with officially sanctioned procedures to avoid regulatory infractions.

Usara said NAHCON continues to engage Saudi authorities to protect the interests of Nigerian pilgrims and ensure world-class service delivery from both public and private operators.