The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria(NAHCON) will on May 9 begin the airlifting of over 53,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage.
This was made known yesterday when NAHCON officials briefed Vice President Kashim Shettimaat the State House, Abuja.
The figure was slightly more compared to last year’s delegation of 51,447 pilgrims.
In 2023, Nigeria went to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the full contingent of 95,000 pilgrims, representing the total number of slots allocated to the country.
That was the first time in nearly a decade that the country would fill up slots allocated by Saudi Arabia.
The Commissioner in charge of Operations, Inspectorate and Licensing, Prince Anofi Elegushi, said arrangements have been finalized for the smooth transportation of the pilgrims to the Holy Land.
According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications Office of the Vice President Stanley Nkwocha, Elegushi said the commission will airlift more than 40,000 pilgrims from the states and an additional 13,000 through licensed tour operators.
“We have picked May 9 for our first flight to Saudi Arabia through Medina. We intend to finish the airlift by May 24 and begin the return journey by June 13, concluding by July 2”, Elegushi said while addressing reporterss after the meeting.
He emphasized that the commission had made comprehensive logistical preparations to ensure a seamless experience for the pilgrims.
“We have all of our accommodation intact in Mecca, Medina and other locations. They are ready to take our pilgrims. We have secured enough bed spaces and paid for adequate feeding,” he stated.
Elegushi assured prospective pilgrims that every aspect of their travel and stay in Saudi Arabia has been carefully planned.
“All hands are on deck, and I can assure all Nigerian pilgrims that they are in safe hands. Adequate arrangements have been made for airlift in and out of Saudi Arabia,” he added.
NAHCON Chairman, Prof Saleh Abdullahi Usman said the Vice President expressed satisfaction with the Commission’s preparations so far.
“The Vice President is very happy with what we have done and encouraged us to sustain the momentum,” he noted.
On the issue raised by tour operators concerning VIP Tent A, the Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Mustafa Aaji, has been tasked with leading efforts to resolve the matter swiftly.
Vice President Shettima urged the Commission to remain steadfast in its duties and prioritize the welfare and spiritual experience of all Nigerian pilgrims.
“All necessary measures must be taken to guarantee the success of the 2025 Hajj. We owe it to all Nigerians and our pilgrims to ensure a smooth and spiritually fulfilling experience,” he said.
The commission, earlier during a meeting with State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board Executive Secretaries, sought updates from states on Visa production, vaccination, bags procurement and other sundry matters.
During the meeting, Prince Elegushi said that Air Peace has been assigned 5,128 pilgrims cumulative from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Armed Forces, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, Rivers and Taraba.
FlyNas will fly 12,506 pilgrims from Federal Capital Territory, (FCT Abuja), Kebbi, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Sokoto and Zamfara states. FlyNas is bringing in nine aircraft for the operation.
Max Air is airlifting pilgrims from Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Oyo and Plateau states. The airline promised to conclude airlift of its 15, 203 maximum by 24th of May. Two aircraft will be deployed for the operation- a B747 with 400 capacity and the second aircraft with a 560 capacity.
Umza has been allocated 10,163 pilgrims from Kaduna, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Niger and Yobe states. Umza is deploying two aircraft a B747 with 477 capacity and a B777 with 310 capacity.
The Commissioner, Planning, Research, Statistics, Information & Library Services (PRSILS), Prof Abubakar Yagawal informed the house of the level of the commission’s preparedness in terms of clinics secured in Makkah and Madinah, distribution of Yellow Cards to states and finally reminded them not to enroll pregnant women for the Hajj exercise.
The meeting deliberated and settled on the inbound flight to begin from 13th June to end by 2nd July.
