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Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards across Nigerian states and licensed tour operators have appealed to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to review the number of Hajj slots allocated to Nigeria for the 2026 pilgrimage.
The stakeholders are calling for the restoration of the 66,910 slots allocated to Nigeria during the 2025 Hajj, following a reduction to 50,000 slots for 2026, which they say is inadequate to meet growing demand.
The appeal was made on Thursday during a meeting with a Saudi Arabian advance delegation led by Prof. Ghassan Al-Nuaimi. The engagement comes ahead of the official visit of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabbiah, scheduled for February 3.
Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the Yobe State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Aliyu Usman, expressed concern that the reduction would deprive many Nigerians of the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage.
Similarly, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ar-Rahama for Hajj and Umrah, Ustaz Khidir Usaefat, described the current allocation as grossly insufficient for tour operators.
“We are now allocated just 69 pilgrims per company, which is very low. Last year, we were given 150 pilgrims per company, and even then many operators purchased additional slots,” he said.
According to Usaefat, some tour operators reportedly bought more than 300 extra slots to meet the needs of their clients, warning that the reduced allocation could push many operators into financial distress.
“This situation is alarming. Most tour operators risk serious shortages and debt. We are appealing to the Minister of Hajj and Umrah to intervene,” he added.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and CEO of KOB Travels and Tours Ltd, Musodiq Oladepo, lamented the successive reductions in Nigeria’s Hajj quota.
“We were initially downgraded from 95,000 to 66,910 slots, and now it has been further reduced to 50,000. This poses a major challenge,” he said.
Oladepo explained that many operators had already made financial commitments for accommodation and flight bookings based on the earlier allocation, adding that the latest reduction would force them to cut down on the number of pilgrims assigned to each company.
Despite the concerns, he expressed optimism that the situation could improve following the stakeholders’ engagement with Saudi officials.
Source: NAN
