Concerns have emerged over the selection process for the 2026 Hajj medical team by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), amid allegations that about 200 personnel were secretly chosen without adherence to established guidelines.
A source familiar with the development alleged that the medical team was selected barely a day after NAHCON publicly invited applications, claiming that the chairman personally presided over the exercise. According to the source, visas for the purportedly selected candidates are already being processed, even as the application process was ongoing.
The source further alleged that the online application portal was opened only for pre-selected candidates and was shut immediately after they completed their submissions, effectively excluding other interested applicants. It was also alleged that no interviews were conducted, contrary to previous practice in the selection of Hajj medical teams.
Many applicants had made inquiries via Independent Hajj Reporters social handles alleging they have never been contacted or received ana acknowledgement of their application as done in the previous years “Aisha Ahmad who applied as a Nurse said she has not received any response since she filled the form online and to her surprise, a friend of her said a lady has been selected and have even submitted her passport.
NAHCON had earlier, on December 13, announced the commencement of applications for the 2026 Hajj medical team. In a statement signed by its deputy director of information and publications, Fatima Sanda Usara, the commission invited qualified doctors, pharmacists, nurses and environmental health workers to apply via its designated portal.
The statement said the portal would be open from 11:00 p.m. on December 12 to 11:59 p.m. on December 15, 2025, adding that applicants must be in active service and must not have participated in the last three Hajj operations in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Applicants were also directed to visit the NAHCON website for further guidelines.
Reacting to the allegation, deputy director of information and publications, Fatima Sanda Usara, explained that “those that made the list of national medical team so far are those that were selected and screened last year but could not travel due to visa issues. State nominees were screened also last Tuesday 3rd February. Again, other nominees would have been invited and screened but we are still waiting to hear from the Saudi end to decide on the next step. Reemphasizing that “NAHCON will conduct appointments within its established procedures”.
