The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Agency has explained that the reduction in #Hajj quota allocated to Nigeria led to the inability of about 1,010 registered pilgrims from the state to secure visas for the 2026 exercise.
Chairman of the agency, Salihu Abubakar, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the agency’s headquarters in Kaduna.
Abubakar said the number of registered pilgrims before the January 2 deadline was low, which prompted the agency to seek approval from the #National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to continue registration beyond the deadline.
He, however, noted that the situation changed when Saudi authorities later reduced Nigeria’s Hajj quota, forcing NAHCON to withdraw the additional slots earlier granted to the state.
“As a result, we were only able to secure visas for the pre-deadline registered pilgrims, which were slightly above 1,600,” he said.
On the selection criteria, Abubakar explained that the agency initially considered a first-come, first-served approach but later prioritised pilgrims who completed payment and submitted their international passports early.
“We uploaded the data of those who had made payment and submitted their passports to meet the deadline and avoid complications with the limited slots available,” he added.
The chairman appealed to affected pilgrims to accept the situation in good faith and roll over their payments to the 2027 Hajj exercise for early processing.
