President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to immediately reduce the cost of the 2026 Hajj fares that were recently announced.
The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadeija, made this known while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting with NAHCON officials at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The new fare range is expected to be between ₦7.6 million and ₦7.7 million. According to Hadeija, the president believes that pilgrims should enjoy the benefits of the current improved exchange rate. The previous fares announced by NAHCON were ₦8,318,336.67 for the Maiduguri Yola Zone, ₦8,244,813.67 for other Northern States, and ₦8,561,013.67 for Southern States.
The final figure will be announced within two days, pending quick remittance of funds from State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards. Hadeija emphasized the importance of timely payment, stating that “the faster the pilgrims pay their hajj fares and they are remitted to the hajj commission, the faster they can pass it to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to buy the dollars for them.”
NAHCON Secretary, Dr. Mustapha Mohammad, welcomed the development, saying “It is a welcome development and the lower the hajj fare is, the more Muslims will have the opportunity of performing the hajj.” He assured that the commission would work tirelessly to reduce the fare to an affordable rate.
The Chairman of the Kebbi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Faruk Yaro, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for their timely intervention. “We are very happy because the president and the vice president have already intervened. We thank God for what they have done, which is expected to bring down the cost of hajj fare.”
The reduction in hajj fares is expected to bring relief to intending pilgrims. As the situation stands, NAHCON is working to implement the president’s directive and announce the new fares soon.