By Soliu Oyesiji
The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, on Wednesday unveiled an eight-point reform agenda aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s Hajj and Umrah industry in line with global best practices and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Speaking at the Stakeholders’ Summit on the Post-2026 Hajj Review and NAHCON Reform Agenda in Abuja, Yusuf said the reforms would serve as the Commission’s roadmap for improving service delivery, transparency and accountability ahead of the 2027 Hajj.
The eight-point agenda includes:
* Early preparation through a predictable Hajj calendar and timely planning.
* Development of a single National Pilgrimage Digital Platform for Hajj and Umrah registration, payment traceability and service delivery.
* Enforcement of service standards and professional accountability across NAHCON, State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and licensed tour operators.
* Strengthening financial transparency and cost governance in Hajj operations.
* Decentralised operations with strong central oversight, allowing State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and licensed operators to manage pilgrim services while NAHCON focuses on regulation and oversight.
* Comprehensive coordination and regulation of Umrah as a core statutory and consumer protection responsibility.
* Professionalisation and capacity building through the Hajj Institute of Nigeria as the national training and certification hub for Hajj and Umrah personnel.
* Enhanced pilgrim education through a standardised national curriculum in major Nigerian languages covering Hajj and Umrah rites, procedures and logistics.
Yusuf said the Commission’s goal was to align Nigeria’s Hajj operations with the evolving Saudi pilgrimage system to secure better quotas, premium service packages and stronger negotiating positions in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reforms.
While highlighting achievements recorded during the 2026 Hajj, including orderly airlift operations, improved visa processing through the Nusuk platform, enhanced medical services and closer coordination with State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and licensed tour operators, the NAHCON chairman acknowledged shortcomings such as lapses in catering services, accommodation, transportation and the circumvention of medical screening by some pilgrims.
He warned that service providers who fail to meet contractual obligations would henceforth face consequences, stressing that “performance will determine patronage” as the Commission pursues greater accountability across the Hajj value chain.
Yusuf added that resolutions from the summit would feed directly into NAHCON’s roadmap for the 2027 Hajj and its engagements with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, assuring stakeholders that the reform agenda would guarantee Nigerian pilgrims a more efficient, transparent and dignified pilgrimage experience.
