By Soliu Oyesiji
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has reduced the Yellow Card fee for the 2026 Hajj exercise from ₦5,000 to ₦2,000, offering relief to intending pilgrims.
The commission said the reduction followed engagements with relevant health authorities as part of measures to ease the financial burden on pilgrims.
NAHCON also disclosed that Port Health Services will directly supervise the issuance and authentication of vaccination certificates in line with stricter verification protocols introduced by Saudi authorities, including biometric checks.
In addition, the commission announced plans to strictly monitor airline performance during Hajj operations, warning that underperforming carriers may have pilgrims reassigned to better-performing airlines.
State Pilgrims Welfare Boards were advised to promptly refund pilgrims who will not travel to prevent financial disputes and maintain public trust.
The commission further revealed that monitoring teams will be deployed to Saudi Arabia to assess feeding, accommodation, sanitation and overall service delivery, with best-performing states to receive national recognition while defaulters may face sanctions.
