The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has fixed October 8, 2025, as the deadline for State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, agencies, commissions, and licensed Hajj tour operators to remit Hajj fares ahead of the 2026 pilgrimage.
The commission had earlier announced a provisional fare of N8.5m for the 2026 Hajj exercise as part of early preparations, pending final negotiations on service contracts.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Fatima Usara, said the deadline aligns with the operational calendar released by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, which stipulates strict timelines for contracting and payment of services.
Usara explained that Saudi authorities had earmarked September 6–23, 2025, for early contracting and payment for Mashair (camps), while September 23–24, 2025, was fixed for contracting essential services such as transportation and accommodation.
She added that NAHCON Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, along with Commissioners and the Commission’s Secretary, Dr. Mustapha Ali, will travel to Saudi Arabia today (Monday, September 22, 2025), to finalise service agreements with providers.
The statement further noted that the Saudi Ministry has set October 12, 2025, as the deadline for pilgrim registration and the submission of data via the Nusuk platform.
“This trip is in conformity with the operational calendar released by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MoHU), which specifies 6th–23rd September 2025 (15–29 Safar 1447H) as the period for early contracting and payment for Mashair (camps).
“The timeline similarly announced 23rd–24th September 2025 (1–2 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1447H) as the deadline for contracting of essential services such as transportation and accommodation. Meanwhile, the MoHU had set 12th October 2025 (20 Rabi’ al-Thani 1447H) as deadline for pilgrims’ registration announcement and submission of pilgrims’ data for grouping via the Nusuk platform.
“Consequently, the Commission fixed 8th October 2025 as the deadline for States Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies, and Commissions, as well as licensed Hajj Tour Operators, to remit Hajj fares for the 2026 Hajj exercise,” the statement partly read.
NAHCON urged stakeholders to comply with the October 8 deadline, stressing that adherence is crucial for smooth arrangements and a successful pilgrimage for Nigerian pilgrims.
Credit: punchng.com
