The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has stepped in with a timely financial intervention to rescue licensed Nigerian Private Hajj Tour Operators from missing the crucial deadline for booking tent space and other pilgrim services in Mina, as stipulated by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Hajj 2025.
A special report by Hajj Reporters authoritatively confirm that without NAHCON’s swift response, all Nigerian private tour operators under the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) and the Hajj and Umrah Tour Operators of Nigeria (HUTUON) would have missed the February 14th deadline, a lapse that could have excluded thousands of Nigerian pilgrims from this year’s Hajj.
According to documents obtained by Hajj Reporters, a Saudi-based service provider alerted NAHCON days before the deadline that no payments had been received from the Nigerian private operators. This triggered an emergency meeting between NAHCON and leaders of AHUON and HUTUON.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, NAHCON agreed to temporarily fund the required tent bookings and services on behalf of the private operators, pending their reimbursement.
The commission’s intervention was formalized through a letter of undertaking signed on the 12th of February, 2025, by AHUON President AbdulLateef Ekundayo and HUTUON Chairman Muhammed Awwal Suleiman.
The letter stated in part: “We guarantee, undertake, and authorize the Commission to debit the naira equivalent as soon as the respective payments hit the account of the Commission. We further undertake that should they fail to repay, we will fully submit ourselves and our companies to any sanction(s) that may be imposed by the management of the Commission.”
This year, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah enforced strict adherence to its Hajj operations calendar, refusing to grant deadline extensions to any country. The impact was immediate and severe in nations where operators failed to comply.
In comparison, Pakistan’s Hajj operations were thrown into disarray, as over 77,000 private pilgrims were barred from traveling after tour operators failed to meet the same booking deadline.
The crisis prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to order an investigation and request an emergency quota from Saudi authorities, resulting in the approval of 10,000 additional Hajj slots for Pakistan.
In contrast, the swift and coordinated response by Nigerian Hajj authorities ensured the country’s private pilgrims were not affected.
Observers say this intervention may be one of the most critical lifelines ever extended by NAHCON to private operators, preserving Nigeria’s full private Hajj quota and avoiding a reputational and operational disaster.
“This could have been a major embarrassment for the entire private Hajj industry in Nigeria,” said one stakeholder. “The Commission’s intervention was not just timely; it was life-saving.”
“The development highlights the importance of early preparations, strong institutional partnerships, and decisive action in navigating the increasingly tight schedules of the Saudi Hajj authorities,” another stakeholder said
