The Federal Government has lowered the fare of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage from over ₦8 million to ₦7.6 million for intending pilgrims.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON), Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, who disclosed this in an interview from Saudi Arabia, said this followed a recommendation by Vice-President Kashim Shettima to reduce the fare from over ₦8.7 million for intending pilgrims from the Southern zone and ₦8 million from those travelling from the North.
The statement noted that the revised figure would see ₦792,943.83 reduced 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 ₦792,943.83. The revised cost for the Southern Zone now stands at ₦7,991,141.76, down from the previous ₦8,784,085.59.
“Pilgrims departing from the Northern Zone will see a reduction of ₦760,915.83, bringing the revised fare to ₦7,696,769.76. Meanwhile, the Borno and Adamawa Zone—which has the lowest fare nationally—has a new rate of ₦7,579,020.96, reflecting a saving of ₦748,104.63”.
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 5th 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 slot given to Nigeria to 66,910, with effect from 2026. Nigeria had maintained the previous slot for three years.
According to NAHCON, the slash was due to the inability of Nigeria to utilise the previous slot during the 2024 and 2025 Hajj.
