President Bola Tinubu has instructed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to cut down the 2026 Hajj fares recently announced, according to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Senator Ibrahim Hadeija.
Speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with NAHCON officials in Abuja, Hadeija said the directive was prompted by improving currency rates. NAHCON’s earlier fares—determined with a pessimistic exchange rate of ₦1,550 to the dollar—had placed costs for various zones as follows:
Maiduguri-Yola Zone: ₦8,318,336.67
Northern States: ₦8,244,813.67
Southern States: ₦8,561,013.67
ALSO READ NAHCON: 2016 Hajj fare should’ve been ₦6.7bn, ₦19bn savings false – Investigation
However, Tinubu urged the commission to revisit those figures. With the naira strengthening, he believes part of the benefit should be passed on to pilgrims. If revised, fares could fall to as low as ₦7.6 to ₦7.7 million, although the final amount is expected within two days.
The reduction will depend partly on swift remittances from State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Boards to NAHCON, enabling timely foreign exchange purchases via the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
NAHCON’s Secretary, Dr. Mustapha Mohammad, welcomed the directive, saying a lower fare would broaden access to the pilgrimage for more Muslims. The Kebbi Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Chair, Faruk Yaro, also expressed gratitude for the intervention.
