A civil society organisation, CSO, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has appealed to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to reconsider its decision to decline Nigeria’s request for additional slots for the 2027 Hajj.
In a statement on Saturday, its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Mohammed, urged the ministry to allocate more slots as requested by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON.
NAHCON had on Thursday said Saudi Arabia declined Nigeria’s request for an upward review of its 2027 Hajj allocation, leaving the country’s quota unchanged despite growing demand from intending pilgrims nationwide.
The commission said it had formally contacted the Saudi ministry to secure additional pilgrimage slots to accommodate the growing number of Nigerian Muslims interested in the sacred journey and to respond to requests for additional allocations from several state pilgrims’ welfare boards.
Until recently, Nigeria had the fifth-largest Hajj contingent, with an average allocation of around 95,000.
IHR also urged Vice President Kashim Shettima to use diplomatic channels to engage the appropriate authorities in Saudi Arabia to grant NAHCON’s request.
“Thousands of Nigerian intending Hajj pilgrims are currently in the queue in anticipation of additional slots,” the group said, adding that most of those on the waiting list may not be able to perform Hajj again if they miss this year’s exercise.
“We are aware that one of the reasons for the reduction in the allocation of Nigeria’s quota was the inability of intending pilgrims to register on time, so the country was unable to use the quota in recent times.
“However, due to the Ministry’s firm stance and the rededication of all Hajj stakeholders in the country to strictly enforce the calendar of activities established by NAHCON, the issue of early pilgrim registration and payments has greatly improved,” IHR said.
It noted that NAHCON has undergone positive structural operational reforms, resulting in timely utilization of 2027 Hajj slots.
“Furthermore, improved enlightenment among Nigerian pilgrims has succeeded in painting a true picture of what Hajj entails for the average intending pilgrim.
“As a result, our pilgrims now understand exactly what to expect while in the holy land, as well as how they should behave to maintain sanity and have little or no negative impact on current operational frameworks in Saudi Arabia,” the CSO stated.
