The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has confirmed that the first group of Nigerian pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj will be airlifted to Saudi Arabia on May 9. This was announced following a meeting held on April 22 between NAHCON and the heads of State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards. The last batch of outbound pilgrims is expected to depart by May 24.
In a statement issued by Fatima Sanda Usara, Assistant Director of Information and Publications for the NAHCON Chairman, the meeting was said to focus on assessing how prepared the states are for this year’s Hajj exercise. NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman, told attendees that all Hajj arrangements are now in their final stages and asked the states to provide updates on visa processing, vaccination status, distribution of travel bags, and other essentials.
The meeting also provided updates on airline allocations for transporting the 43,000 pilgrims Nigeria is sending to Saudi Arabia this year.
Prince Anofiu Elegushi, Commissioner for Operations, announced that Air Peace will handle 5,128 pilgrims from states including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, the Armed Forces, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, and others.
FlyNas, a Saudi airline, has been assigned the largest number of pilgrims—12,506—from states like Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Sokoto, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory. The airline is preparing nine aircraft for the job.
Max Air will transport 15,203 pilgrims from northern states such as Kano, Katsina, and Bauchi, using two planes: a Boeing 747 with a 400-passenger capacity and another aircraft that holds 560 passengers.
Umza Air, another airline involved in this year’s pilgrimage, will carry 10,163 pilgrims from Kaduna, Niger, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Yobe states. They will use a Boeing 747 that can carry 477 passengers and a Boeing 777 for 310.
On the medical front, Professor Abubakar Yagawal, Commissioner for Planning, Research, and Statistics, noted that medical clinics have already been arranged in both Makkah and Madinah. He also mentioned that Yellow Cards are ready for distribution and reminded state officials that pregnant women should not be enrolled for the pilgrimage.
Return flights are scheduled to begin on June 13 and are expected to be completed by July 2.
