National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has announced a downward review of the 2026 Hajj fares for intending pilgrims from the country showing significant reductions across different zones.
This was even as the commission added that previous slots allocation to states no longer stands, saying “it is now a matter of states that remit their Hajj fares earlier will secure slots for their registered number of pilgrims based on first-come-first-served.”
The decision for downward review of the Hajj fares, according to a statement signed by the NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Fatima Sanda Usara, on behalf of the Chairman/CEO, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, was reached after extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders and the necessary approval from the appropriate authorities.
Details of the review show that intending pilgrims from the Maiduguri/Yola Zone, which were previously asked to pay
N8,118,033.67, will now pay N7,579,020.96
Similarly, those from other parts of the Northern Zone will now pay N7,696,769.76 instead of N8,244,813.67 charged in 2025.
Also, intending pilgrims from the Southern Zone are to pay N7,991,141.76 against the previous year’s N8,561,013.67 fare.
According to the NAHCON, “the revised fares were computed based on an exchange rate of N1,443 per US Dollar.
“Consequently, intending pilgrims from the respective zones will enjoy reductions of N539,013, N548,043.91, and N569,871.91 respectively.”
It, however, advised the intending pilgrims to complete their Hajj fares remittances by December 5, 2025 due to time constraints and payment framework by the authorities of Saudi Arabia.
“This is to accommodate all transfers to NAHCON’s IBAN account before Saudi Arabia’s deadline. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has set 21st December as deadline for transferring of all funds for basic services contract and has vowed not to extend the date,” the statement stressed.
It also revealed that “transfers into IBAN accounts take between 10 days to two weeks before being credited which may be impossible to beat without the deadline shifted earlier, which is the 5th of December.”
In his submission at the meeting between NAHCON and states held on Monday in Abuja, the Chairman Forum of States, Alhaji Idris Al-Makura called on his members to conclude their assignments in Saudi Arabia on time and return to Nigeria immediately to mobilize for Hajj registration, considering the seriousness of the time condition given to the country to fill its quota for the 2026 holy pilgrimage