Hajj 2027: NAHCON Faults Slot Diversion Allegations, Warns on Saudi Compliance

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has refuted claims that 5,000 Hajj slots were diverted for the 2027 pilgrimage, describing the allegations as unsubstantiated. The commission urged stakeholders to differentiate between factual evidence and commercial disputes. This followed a report by THE NATIONAL PAPERS, titled "Hajj 2027: Private Operators Demand Probe of Diverted 5,000 Slots," and what NAHCON described as a widespread misinformation campaign by certain private Hajj tour operators regarding the allocation of slots for the 2027 pilgrimage.

Shafii Sani Mohammed, the Head of Information and Communications Division at NAHCON, stated that while stakeholders were welcome to seek clarification on issues related to Hajj administration, allegations of wrongdoing needed to be supported by evidence. NAHCON claimed it was aware of a "coordinated and diversionary campaign" based on allegations of Hajj slot diversion, noting that no evidence had been presented to prove that the allocation of these 5,000 disputed slots violated Saudi Arabian Hajj regulations or NAHCON's guidelines.

The commission questioned the reliance on anonymous "Concerned Private Travel Operators" in the report, stating that the lack of identifiable sources made it difficult to assess their credibility, standing, or possible commercial interests. According to NAHCON, Nigeria's approved allocation for the 2027 Hajj is 50,000 slots, with 35,000 for states and the Federal Capital Territory, and 15,000 for duly licensed private tour operators.

These private-sector slots were allocated to operators operating under seven approved lead companies, adhering to Nigerian regulatory requirements and Saudi guidelines. The commission also emphasized that all companies involved in the 2027 Hajj and Umrah operations were registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other relevant government regulatory agencies, having undergone necessary regulatory processes and obtained NAHCON licences.

NAHCON pointed out that the controversy surrounding slot allocation seemed primarily commercial, given the competition among operators for limited Hajj slots. They noted that changes in allocation structures, emergence of new entrants, and evolving arrangements could generate disagreements among operators whose commercial interests were affected.

However, NAHCON stressed that the primary concern should be compliance with Saudi authorities' highly digitised and time-sensitive requirements via the Nusuk-Masar platform. The Saudi authorities had set September 26, 2026 as the deadline for uploading prospective pilgrims' biometric and registration data on the platform, which NAHCON emphasized was a directive of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond their power to extend.

NAHCON urged private operators to prioritize client registration, biometric uploads, and remittance of necessary funds, rather than engaging in activities that could distract from their regulatory obligations. They warned that operators failing to upload clients' data or fulfill contractual obligations before the deadline would be held responsible for the consequences.

NAHCON also documented instances of deliberate misinformation and diversionary tactics aimed at misleading intending pilgrims and undermining confidence in Nigeria's Hajj administration, with the threat of regulatory sanctions including licence suspension or revocation and blacklisting from future Hajj operations. The commission advised intending pilgrims to verify the status of their enrolment and ensure their biometric and registration details were uploaded on the Nusuk platform before the September 26 deadline, maintaining that genuine concerns over the allocation process should be addressed through established facts, regulations, and dispute-resolution mechanisms rather than anonymous allegations or conjecture.