President Bola Tinubu has ordered the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to immediately review and reduce the cost of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage fares, a directive that Vice President Kashim Shettima has mandated to be fulfilled within two days.
The decision was prompted by the continuous appreciation of the naira against the US dollar, which is the primary determinant of the pilgrimage cost.
Shettima conveyed the President’s directive during a meeting with NAHCON’s management and board members at the Presidential Villa on Monday.
He stressed that the strengthening of the naira due to the administration’s economic reforms should benefit prospective pilgrims.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadeija, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, explained the rationale behind the order.
“Rates have continued to improve steadily, with the naira appreciating based on the effects of the economic reforms of the government,” Hadeija stated.
He highlighted that since pilgrims paid between ₦8.5 million and ₦}8.6 million under a weaker exchange rate last year, the improved currency value should now be “passed to the prospective pilgrims.”
The goal of the review, he noted, is to establish a more realistic exchange rate that could lead to a “very significant reduction” in the Hajj fare.
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Hadeija also urged State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Boards and all stakeholders to ensure quick payments and timely remittance of funds to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which would facilitate a smoother and more economical dollar purchase.
In response to the presidential directive, Mustapha Mohammad, Secretary of NAHCON, welcomed the decision, stating it would allow more Muslim faithful to perform the Hajj.
“The lower the Hajj fare, the better for Muslim faithful intending to perform Hajj,” he said, pledging that the commission would “work tirelessly between today and tomorrow to see that we reduce it to the barest minimum and affordable rate.”
