The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced it will refund N64,679 to each of the 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims who participated in the 2023 Hajj. The refund is being issued due to services not provided by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj at Masha’ir during the pilgrimage.
NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Anofi Olanrewaju-Elegushi, made this known through a statement released by Fatima Usara, the Assistant Director of Public Affairs. He stated that the refund will be disbursed to all Nigerian pilgrims, including those who traveled through state pilgrim boards and private operators. Efforts are already underway to process the payments.
In addition, Olanrewaju-Elegushi shared updates on matters related to refunds requested by Private Tour Operators (PTOs). He announced that the number of lead companies authorized to manage the 2025 Hajj from the private sector has been reduced from 20 to 10 by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MoHU). To qualify for Hajj visa approval, each company must register at least 2,000 pilgrims.
Addressing claims that NAHCON owes PTOs N17 billion from the 2024 Hajj caution deposits, Olanrewaju-Elegushi clarified that the commission only received N2.75 billion from 110 companies, including N1.25 billion rolled over from the previous year. Out of this, N750 million has already been refunded to 30 companies, leaving N750 million in NAHCON’s custody for undecided PTOs.
Regarding the 2022 Hajj, Olanrewaju-Elegushi stated that NAHCON is still awaiting full details concerning refunds. However, PTOs stationed at Field Office 18 in 2022 will collectively receive SR62,602 in compensation for inadequate feeding services at Masha’ir.
Olanrewaju-Elegushi also announced that NAHCON's Executive Council has approved the option for PTOs to use a Bank Guarantee instead of cash for the N40 million caution deposit required for the 2025 Hajj. PTOs that have already made cash deposits can request a refund if they prefer to submit a Bank Guarantee.
The registration deadline has been extended to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 11, to accommodate this option. PTOs can submit a Bank Draft for the caution deposit as an interim solution and retrieve it later after the Bank Guarantee is finalized, even after the deadline.
The Commissioner further confirmed that the Nigerian government will not provide a concessionary exchange rate for the 2025 Hajj exercise.
