Nigeria’s request for increased Hajj seats for 2027 Hajj operations has been rejected by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the management of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
NAHCON said Nigeria will keep 50,000 slots, with 35,000 for government pilgrims and 15,000 for licensed tour operators.
NAHCON Chairman and CEO, Ismail Yusuf, told state pilgrims’ welfare boards and tour operators to use slots transparently and upload pilgrims’ data by September 26, 2026.
According to NAH ON, it had formally approached the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to request additional slots in response to increasing demand from prospective Nigerian pilgrims.
It said the request was also made in response to appeals from several state pilgrims’ welfare boards seeking increased allocations to enable more Nigerians to perform the pilgrimage.
However, Saudi authorities declined the request, citing capacity limitations, structural constraints at the holy sites and the need to maintain strict adherence to approved country quotas under the existing operational framework.
Speaking on the rejection, NAHCON Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ismail Yusuf, said the Commission understood the disappointment that the decision could cause among intending pilgrims, state pilgrims’ welfare boards and other stakeholders who had hoped for additional slots.
He said: “We appreciate the deep spiritual desire of many Nigerian Muslims to perform Hajj and understand the expectations of states and stakeholders seeking additional slots.
“While every effort was made to secure an upward review, the Saudi authorities have communicated their final position based on operational realities and capacity consideration.”
The chairman urged state pilgrims’ welfare boards, agencies and licensed tour operators to make judicious and transparent use of their approved allocations and comply strictly with deadlines set by NAHCON and the Saudi Nusuk platform.
“Kindly note that the deadline for uploading prospective pilgrims’ data remains September 26, 2026. We urge all partners, state pilgrimage boards, tour operators and representatives to ensure that all required information is submitted before this date, as no extensions will be granted,” he said.
