The Federal Government has reduced the fare of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage from over N8 million to N7.6 million for intending pilgrims.
This was revealed in an interview with DCL Hausa from Saudi Arabia by Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
He said that this came after Vice President Kashim Shettima suggested lowering the ticket from more than N8.7 million for pilgrims from the Southern zone and N8 million for pilgrims from the North.
According to the statement, based on the pilgrim’s departure zone, the revised price would result in a reduction of N792,943.83 from the original 2025 Hajj fare.
He said: “The largest reduction was recorded for pilgrims in the Southern Zone, where the fare has been reduced by N792,943.83. The revised cost for the Southern Zone now stands at N7,991,141.76, down from the previous N8,784,085.59.
“Pilgrims departing from the Northern Zone will see a reduction of N760,915.83, bringing the revised fare to N7,696,769.76. Meanwhile, the Borno and Adamawa Zone—which has the lowest fare nationally—has a new rate of N7,579,020.96, reflecting a saving of N748,104.63.”
The commission also requested that all potential pilgrims pay their fare by December 5, 2025, and provided an update on the pilgrimage’s financial schedule.
It added, “This date is critical for finalizing preparations and securing slots for the 2026 exercise. The fare reduction is expected to be widely welcomed by Nigerian Muslims planning to perform the annual pilgrimage, making the journey more accessible.”
According to reports, Nigeria’s 95,000 slot has been lowered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to 66,910 starting in 2026. Nigeria had held the prior position for three years.
The slash, according to NAHCON, resulted from Nigeria’s incapacity to use the prior slot for the 2024 and 2025 hajj.
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