The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has called on all stakeholders to strictly comply with deadlines set by Saudi Arabian authorities for the 2026 Hajj, warned that there will be no extensions for visa processing, payments, or contractual agreements.
This caution was issued during the post-Hajj stakeholders’ meeting with Licensed Tour Operator Companies held at the Hajj House, Abuja. The meeting was presided over by NAHCON Chairman/CEO, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, who was joined by the Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, and the Commissioner of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Prince Aliu AbdulRazaq.
Professor Usman commended State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, private tour operators, and service providers for their contributions to the success of the 2025 Hajj. He also acknowledged the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in ensuring Nigerian pilgrims performed the pilgrimage with dignity and comfort.
“The Commission is committed to collaboration, fairness, and transparency,” Usman said. “But at the same time, we expect total compliance from all stakeholders as we work together to improve service delivery and meet global best practices.”
On operational guidelines for the 2026 exercise, Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, stressed the need for strict adherence to Saudi Arabia’s official Hajj calendar.
“The Saudis have made it very clear the dates on their calendar will not be extended by even a minute,” he said. “Gone are the days when you could beg for extra weeks to process visas. For 2026, if the portal closes today, it closes today.”
He recalled the 2025 experience, where assumptions of possible extensions caused some stakeholders to miss deadlines, resulting in the loss of participation slots. He also pointed to the challenges faced during Arafat 2025, describing them as lessons that must guide preparations for 2026.
Similarly, the Commissioner of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Prince Aliu AbdulRazaq, urged tour operators to make timely payments, noting that Saudi authorities would not shift deadlines for contractual obligations.
Commissioner of Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS), Professor Abubakar Yagawal, commended the performance of tour operators during the 2025 Hajj and encouraged them to sustain early preparations for 2026.
The meeting ended with a vote of thanks from the Director of Inspectorate and Compliance, Alhaji Alidu Shutti, who described the session as one of the most productive engagements between NAHCON and licensed tour operators in recent years.
