The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria said it has airlifted 9,756 Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia within four days of the 2026 Hajj operations.
In a statement signed by the commission, NAHCON disclosed that four designated carriers had conducted a total of 23 outbound flights to Madinah since the commencement of the exercise. It added that the first batch of pilgrims had begun performing key spiritual activities, including visits to the Prophet’s Rawdah, ahead of their movement to Makkah on May 7.
The commission assured pilgrims that officials of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards had been trained on the procedures for booking visits to the Rawdah. It, however, noted that access remains subject to space availability and prior approval due to crowd control measures.
NAHCON advised pilgrims to remain patient and orderly, stressing that while visiting the Rawdah is spiritually rewarding, it is not a compulsory requirement for the validity of Hajj.
