- The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has warned that many intending pilgrims may miss the 2026 Hajj due to late quota approval and portal closure
- The Hajj data registration portal of Saudi Arabia closed before Nigeria’s additional slots could be processed
- NAHCON urged affected pilgrims to remain calm and await further communication
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has warned that many intending pilgrims may miss the 2026 Hajj exercise due to the closure of Saudi Arabia’s Hajj portal shortly after Nigeria secured an increase in its quota.
In a statement issued on Friday, February 20, by Fatima Usara, Deputy Director of Information and Publications at the commission, it was explained that the development stemmed from the timing of the quota approval, which came after the Saudi authorities had already shut the portal for pilgrim data registration.
Initially, Saudi Arabia reduced Nigeria’s Hajj quota from 95,000 to 50,000 slots. However, diplomatic interventions by Nigerian authorities resulted in an upward adjustment of the allocation.
NAHCON noted that the additional slots were granted very close to the deadline for data submission.
Usara stated, “You may wish to recall that following the reduction of Nigeria’s Hajj quota to 50,000, NAHCON convened a meeting with State officials and formally cancelled earlier allocations, adopting a first-come, first-served policy based on confirmed remittances.”
She further explained, “Many Boards subsequently secured funding and made payments accordingly. Thereafter, Camp bookings were allocated based on remittances completed by January 2, which was the deadline.
“However, few states including Kaduna and Niger states received limited additional allocations later, which was made possible through internal spooling from some states that paid excess.”
According to her, the commission had repeatedly warned states and intending pilgrims about late registration, stressing that Saudi authorities would strictly enforce submission deadlines.
“Although NAHCON sought additional slots later, approval for the additional slots was received after Saudi’s key operational portals had closed.
“The commission appeals to pilgrims who paid late to remain calm and patient, assuring them that updates will be communicated as necessary,” she added.
The commission urged affected pilgrims to await further communication as efforts continue to address the situation.