The President of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON), Abdul Lateef Yusuf Ekundayo, has said the Saudi Arabian Minister of Hajj and Umrah promised to ease the Umrah visa process for Nigerians, following recent engagements with Nigerian authorities.
Speaking in an interview with HAJJ REPORTERS, Ekundayo said the assurance was given during the visit of the Saudi minister to Nigeria, where discussions were held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other stakeholders on improving Hajj and Umrah operations.
According to him, Nigeria has recently been classified among low-risk countries in terms of overstaying pilgrims, following significant improvement in compliance over the past two years.
Ekundayo explained that the development could lead to policy changes in visa issuance, which would positively impact private Hajj operators who have previously faced financial losses due to delays or denial of visas after making advance bookings for hotels and flights.
He expressed optimism that Nigerian tour operators would begin to feel the impact of the promised reforms as early as the coming Ramadan season.
The AHUON chairman also noted that although records show a backlog of overstayers accumulated over more than two decades, recent improvements have strengthened Nigeria’s standing with Saudi authorities, raising expectations of a more seamless and efficient Umrah and Hajj operation for Nigerians in the near future.
