For decades, Nigeria had some of the largest contingents in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage. But within two Hajj cycles, the number of pilgrims fell sharply, leaving thousands facing the prospect of postponing a religious obligation they may have spent years preparing for. The story, however, is more complicated than Saudi Arabia’s reduction of the country’s slots. Nigeria was allocated 95,000 slots for the 2025 Hajj.
By May 2025, only about 64,188 pilgrims had registered, while fewer than 60,000 eventually travelled to Saudi Arabia through the government and licensed private tour operators. In 2026, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) secured spaces for about 52,000 pilgrims, but fewer Nigerians still eventually travelled. Several factors led to this situation, including late registration and payment by intending pilgrims, difficulties completing payments, delays in remitting funds, and the closure of the Saudi visa portal.
Saudi Arabia subsequently reduced Nigeria’s actual Masha’ir spaces for 2026 to 66,910, but the operational quota fell to 50,000. NAHCON repeatedly warned pilgrims and state pilgrims’ welfare boards to respect registration and payment deadlines. Every underutilisation of allocations subsequently became an issue in Nigeria’s Hajj planning, with Saudi authorities reducing the number of Mashair spaces for the following cycle.
Some Nigerians who registered and paid for the 2025 Hajj could not travel, particularly those affected by the closure of the Saudi visa portal. NAHCON said the visa issuance window closed, affecting 2,717 late-registration pilgrims, despite the Commission’s efforts to secure further extensions. By September 2025, NAHCON said it had reconciled refunds involving 19 states that had requested reconciliation.
The experience exposed the importance of completing registration, payment, biometric and visa processes within the deadlines set by both Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. With the coming of the new NAHCON Chairman, Isma’il Abba-Yusuf, the Commission made