Pilgrims to pay less as NAHCON cuts hajj fare after Tinubu’s directive

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced a downward review of the 2026 Hajj fare across all zones.

The development comes a month after President Bola Tinubu through Ibrahim Hadeija, his deputy chief of staff, directed NAHCON to immediately reduce the cost of the 2026 Hajj fares that it had announced.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima said the review became necessary following the “continued appreciation” of the naira against the dollar—a key factor in determining the cost of hajj.

In September, the commission pegged a provisional fare of N8.5 million pending final negotiations with service providers.

In a statement on Monday, Fatima Usara, deputy director of information and public relations, NAHCON said the new rates will vary by region.

The commission said pilgrims from the Maiduguri/Yola zone will now pay N7,579,020.96, reduced from N8,118,033.67.

The northern zone fare has been adjusted to N7,696,769.76 from the previous N8,244,813.67, while the southern zone fare is now N7,991,141.76, down from N8,561,013.67.

NAHCON said the new fares were calculated based on an exchange rate of N1,443 per US dollar.

The commission added that the revision represents a reduction of N539,013 for Maiduguri/Yola, N548,043.91 for the northern zone, and N569,871.91 for the Southern zone.

Usara asked intending pilgrims to complete their Hajj fare payments by December 5, 2025, to meet Saudi Arabia’s transfer deadline.

She also explained that the Saudi ministry of hajj and umrah has fixed December 21, 2025, as the cut-off date for all payments related to the basic services contract and will not grant an extension.

NAHCON noted that transfers into International Bank Account Number (IBAN) accounts may take up to two weeks to clear, hence the need for early remittance.

At a meeting held on November 10, the commission said earlier slot allocations to states had been cancelled.

It said states that make early remittances would now secure slots for their registered pilgrims on a first-come, first-served basis.

Idris Almakura, chairman of the forum of states, urged members to complete their assignments in Saudi Arabia promptly and return to Nigeria to mobilise pilgrims for registration.

He emphasised the urgency of meeting the deadline to ensure Nigeria fulfils its Hajj quota for 2026.