Billions in public and private funds fuel a booming pilgrimage economy in Nigeria, raising questions about secularism, priorities and political patronage.
Over the past decade, Nigerian Christians and Muslims have spent more than N2trn ($1.2bn) on religious pilgrimages. While most of the money came from private pockets, government contributions – through fare subsidies and outright sponsorships – account for a significant portion. It’s a staggering figure in a country grappling with economic hardship.
For Muslims, the primary destination is Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj. Christians, on the other hand, typically travel to holy sites in Israel, Jordan, Rome and Greece.
Followers of the two dominant faiths view pilgrimage to their respective holy lands as a vital religious obligation. As a result, thousands of Nigerians embark on these spiritual journeys each year.
Soaring numbers, soaring costs
In the past 10 years, at least 574,000 Nigerian Muslims have performed the Hajj in Saudi Arabia, while over 80,000 Christians have undertaken pilgrimages to Christian holy sites. Nigeria ranks fifth globally in Hajj allocations, behind Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It’s also the top African participant, ahead of Algeria, Egypt and Sudan.
The financial toll is striking. Between 2015 and 2025, an estimated N1.46trn was spent on Hajj pilgrimages. This figure excludes the cost of Umrah or lesser Hajj, organised multiple times a year by licensed travel agencies.
This year alone, over 41,000 Muslims registered for the Hajj, each paying an average of N8.4m, bringing the total cost to roughly N344.4bn. Last year, 51,447 pilgrims paid N7.5m each, amounting to N385.8bn. In 2023, some 95,000 pilgrims spent N275.5bn, and in 2022, some 43,000 pilgrims paid N2.4m each, contributing N103.2bn.
Such expenditure is not a judicious use of resources in a country where many live from hand to mouth
The Hajj was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But between 2015 and 2019, approximately 341,000 Nigerians undertook the pilgrimage, spending an estimated N355.4bn.
Christian pilgrimages followed a similar, albeit smaller, trend. Last year, 10,000 Nigerian Christians journeyed to Jerusalem, spending a combined N30bn at N3m per pilgrim. Travel disruptions due to the Israel-Hamas war and the pandemic limited activity in 2020, 2021 and 2023. From 2015 to 2019, Christian pilgrims spent approximately N22.2bn.
Public funds for private faith
As the naira continues to slide against the dollar – most notably in the past two years – many Nigerians are struggling to afford pilgrimages. In response, federal and state governments have stepped in with subsidies, drawing criticism for violating Nigeria’s secular principles.
Between 2021 and 2024, the federal government and at least 21 state governments disbursed over N120bn in subsidies for both Christian and Muslim pilgrimages. In 2024 alone, facing a sharp rise in Hajj fares due to forex instability, President Bola Tinubu approved a N90bn subsidy. Fourteen governors supplemented this with an additional N15bn.
Even at the height of the 2017 recession, state governments and private individuals collectively spent N136.5bn on the Hajj. Public affairs analyst Femi Aina says such expenditure is “not a judicious use of resources in a country where many live from hand to mouth”. He argues pilgrimage sponsorship has been co-opted for political gain.
“Politicians have now hijacked the whole pilgrimage, with the government sponsoring pilgrims to Hajj and Israel for no reason other than political patronage,” Aina says.
In 2022, Plateau State, during the tenure of former Governor Simon Lalong, described itself as the country’s leading sponsor of Christian pilgrims, reporting that it had supported the travel of 4,570 individuals over eight years. State officials attributed to Lalong a reputation as Nigeria’s “pilgrimage-friendly governor”.
Saudi Arabia’s gain: $12bn annually
Saudi Arabia, which annually welcomes over 2.3 million pilgrims from across the globe, reaps immense economic benefits from religious tourism. According to Statista, Hajj alone contributes around $12bn annually to the kingdom’s economy.
As part of its Vision 2030 strategy to reduce dependence on oil, Saudi Arabia aims to increase the number of pilgrims for both Hajj and Umrah to 30 million by 2030. By 2032, the country’s religious tourism sector is projected to generate $350bn.
If the government must support religious pilgrims, it should cut across all intending pilgrims, and not just political loyalists
Despite Nigeria’s constitutional secularity, the federal government funds two agencies dedicated to religious pilgrimages: the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), both of which receive annual budgetary allocations.
The NCPC states on its website that “Nigeria is so far the only nation in the world with a nationally organised pilgrimage programme, backed by law and funded by the government”. It further asserts that “Nigerian pilgrims should be treated as both government and national representatives, undertaking the pilgrimage with the backing of the Federal Government of Nigeria”.
Annually, the NCPC organises multiple Christian pilgrimages, effectively turning it into a year-round enterprise. These include Easter, Women’s, Youth, Farmers’, Traditional, Church Leaders and Pastors’, General, and Family pilgrimages.
Constitutional, economic concerns
Government sponsorship of religious pilgrimages continues to draw sharp criticism.
Politicians have now hijacked the whole pilgrimage, with the government sponsoring pilgrims to Hajj and Israel for no reason
Lagos-based human rights lawyer Malcolm Omirhobo contends that the expenditures are unconstitutional and wasteful. He cites Section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution, which, he says, “makes it clear that the government should not be involved in religious matters”.
In 2020, Omirhobo filed a lawsuit seeking the dissolution of both NAHCON and the NCPC. Aina also criticises the practice, calling it discriminatory.
“If the government must support religious pilgrims, it should cut across all intending pilgrims, and not just political loyalists or government officials and their family members,” he says.
“I may not have a problem with believers performing their religious obligations,” he continues, “but people need to spend wisely, making sure they go on pilgrimage only when they can afford it – especially considering the state of Nigeria’s economy and the uncertainties around our foreign exchange.”
Political economist Anthony Kila echoes these concerns, condemning the sponsorship of pilgrimages as a tool for political patronage. He says such resources would be better invested in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which offer more sustainable and inclusive benefits for the economy. (The Africa Report)
