Nigerians to miss 2025 Hajj, State Muslim Pilgrims Board raise alarm over canceled contract
Thousands of Nigerian Muslim pilgrims may be unable to perform the 2025 Hajj due to the cancellation of a key service contract by the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, the Forum of Chief Executives of State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards has warned.
According to a report published by Leadership newspaper, the forum—which includes executives from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)—raised the alarm on Sunday, blaming the NAHCON chairman for what they described as a unilateral decision to cancel the Masha’ir contract signed with the Saudi service provider, Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah.
Speaking to journalists, the forum’s secretary and Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abubakar Salihu, said the cancellation could prevent Nigerian pilgrims from obtaining visas, effectively barring them from participating in the pilgrimage.
“It has become necessary to inform the public that if Nigerian intending pilgrims miss out on the 2025 Hajj, the NAHCON chairman should be held responsible, not the state pilgrims’ boards,” Salihu stated.
He explained that after a careful selection process, NAHCON had signed an agreement with Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah to handle services for state quota pilgrims in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah. However, the contract was later canceled through an electronic portal without consulting the state boards.
The forum accused NAHCON of favoring private tour operators—who cater to less than 20% of Nigerian pilgrims—while denying state pilgrims’ boards, which manage over 80% of the 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims, the right to choose their service provider.
“The chairman’s action implies that our pilgrims cannot access their visas on the Saudi E-Tract platform. Even if NAHCON engages another service provider now, the new provider cannot access the system,” Salihu warned.
He further stated that Mashariq Al-Dhahabiah, which had already uploaded contract details on Saudi Arabian Hajj agencies’ platforms, may seek arbitration for contract violations, potentially worsening the situation for Nigerian pilgrims.
The forum also accused NAHCON of attempting to impose another service provider, Ithraa Al Khair, which was rejected due to alleged poor service delivery during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Hajj seasons.
