The Federal Government has reduced the fare for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage from over N8 million to N7.6 million for intending pilgrims.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, disclosed this in an interview with DCL Hausa from Saudi Arabia.
According to him, the decision followed a recommendation by Vice President Kashim Shettima to lower the fare from over N8.7 million for intending pilgrims from the Southern zone and N8 million for those traveling from the North.
The statement noted that the revised figure represents a reduction of N792,943.83 from the initial 2025 Hajj fare, depending on the pilgrim’s departure zone.
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, now has a new rate of N7,579,020.96, reflecting a saving of N748,104.63.”
The commission also issued an update regarding the financial timeline for the pilgrimage and urged all prospective pilgrims to make payment of their fare on 5 December 2025.
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.”
Meanwhile, it was reported that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reduced the 95,000 slots given to Nigeria to 66,910, effective from 2026. Nigeria had maintained the previous slot for three years.
According to NAHCON, the cut was due to Nigeria’s inability to utilize the previous slot during the 2024 and 2025 Hajj.
Do you think the reduction in Hajj fare will make it easier for more Nigerians to perform the pilgrimage next year?
