Vice President Kashim Shettima has praised the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for its successful management of the 2026 Hajj operation, describing the exercise as nearly seamless and setting a baseline for upcoming pilgrimages.
He gave the commendation on Wednesday, during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja by NAHCON’s board and management team, alongside representatives from various State Pilgrims Welfare Boards.
The delegation visited the State House to present a formal summary of the completed 2026 Hajj operations and discuss strategic projections for future exercises.
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Addressing the delegation, Shettima commended the joint efforts of NAHCON, state welfare boards, and operational stakeholders.
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He emphasised that the overall organisation of the 2026 pilgrimage should serve as the standard moving forward, particularly as Nigeria works toward establishing a fully sustainable system designed to deliver completely hassle-free Hajj experiences for citizens.
Presenting the performance report, the Chairman of NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, briefed Shettima on a strategic policy shift mandated by Saudi Arabian authorities.
Under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 framework, the kingdom is transitioning to a direct business-to-business (B2B) model, transferring the management of 98 per cent of pilgrims to private tour operators.
Ambassador Yusuf explained that under this new framework, the commission will focus strictly on its primary regulatory mandate over Hajj operations, and commercial tour operators will handle the day-to-day operational execution of the pilgrimage.
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The NAHCON Chairman reassured the Presidency that the commission is prepared to implement the structural changes, noting that operational planning is already underway to execute the transition seamlessly.
