No Nigerian Pilgrim Will Be Left Behind – NAHCON Chairman

The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh, has assured that the 2025 Hajj exercise will proceed smoothly without any disruptions.

Reacting to reports suggesting that “thousands of Nigerian intending pilgrims may be unable to perform the 2025 Hajj due to the cancellation of the Masha’ir contract by NAHCON,” Saleh dismissed the claim as false, emphasizing that no pilgrim would be left out of the exercise.

“The contract of the two companies was cancelled by the Saudi authorities themselves. They were reinstated again and they cancelled the contract once more,” he clarified.

Explaining his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, he stated, “This is the reason I hurriedly travelled to Saudi Arabia to meet with the authorities concerned. A meeting was scheduled yesterday (Sunday) but it could not hold for some reason and it’s shifted to today. We want to know why the contract was canceled. On our part, NAHCON did not cancel their contract. We want this disagreement between the companies and the Saudi authority to not affect NAHCON’s arrangement. This is the reason I am meeting with them today. We want them to tell us what is going on.”

He further stressed the importance of resolving the issue promptly, saying, “If they want to renew the contract, let them do it once and for all. If they want to substitute them, this should be made clear. This would be done instantly to avoid hitches.”

Reaffirming the commission’s commitment to ensuring a seamless pilgrimage, Saleh stated, “Our pilgrims will be glad with the arrangements we put in place. They will commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for entrusting us with this post. We are working unrelentingly to execute this project.”