43,000 Nigerians to perform 2025 Hajj from states, armed forces

…Inaugural flight fixed for May 9

As preparations for this year’s Hajj reach the final stages, it has been revealed that 43,000 Nigerian intending pilgrims will be participating in the spiritual exercise under the state quota and the armed forces.

Meanwhile, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the state pilgrims welfare boards have fixed Friday, May 9, for the inaugural flight conveying Nigerians to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage.

These details were disclosed at a meeting held today between NAHCON and state Muslim pilgrims welfare boards at the Hajj House, the headquarters of the Hajj body in Abuja. The meeting was convened to assess the level of preparedness of the states.

Speaking at the meeting, NAHCON Chairman/CEO, Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman, stated that the Hajj industry was in the final lap of preparation before the commencement of the 2025 Hajj season.

In view of this, Usman called on the states to update NAHCON on their progress in visa procurement, vaccination, and procurement of travel bags, among other matters.

Addressing the meeting, NAHCON Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, revealed the pilgrim allocation for the four airlines approved for the 2025 Hajj operations, adding that the allocation was based on a total of 43,000 pilgrims.

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According to him, Air Peace was assigned 5,128 pilgrims cumulatively from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, Rivers, Taraba, and the Armed Forces.

The commissioner also informed that Saudi airline FlyNas was allocated 12,506 pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kebbi, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, adding that FlyNas would deploy nine aircraft for the operation.

Max Air, according to Elegushi, would be airlifting pilgrims from Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Oyo, and Plateau states.

The airline, he said, had promised to complete the airlift of its 15,203 pilgrims by May 24, deploying two aircraft—a 400-capacity B747 and another aircraft with a 560-passenger capacity—for the operation.

He further disclosed that Umza had been allocated 10,163 pilgrims from Kaduna, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Niger, and Yobe states.

Umza will be deploying two aircraft—a 477-capacity B747 and a B777 with 310-passenger capacity.

On his part, the Commissioner in charge of Planning, Research, Statistics, Information & Library Services (PRSILS), Prof. Abubakar Yagawal, briefed the meeting on NAHCON’s level of preparedness in terms of clinics secured in Makkah and Madinah, and distribution of Yellow Cards to states.

The commissioner, however, warned state boards against enrolling pregnant women for this year’s Hajj exercise.

While the meeting agreed on May 9 for the inaugural flight to Saudi Arabia and May 24 for the completion of outbound flights, it tentatively fixed the commencement of return flights for June 13, with the last return flight scheduled for July 2.

 

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE