Time to reorganize Hajj administration

The resignation, on February 9, 2026, of Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman as Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) brings to the fore how bad the situation is with the apex organization in charge of organizing the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Since his assumption of office in 2024, the erstwhile chairman has […]

The resignation, on February 9, 2026, of Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman as Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) brings to the fore how bad the situation is with the apex organization in charge of organizing the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Since his assumption of office in 2024, the erstwhile chairman has been at loggerheads with his fellow board members, resulting in accusations and counteraccusations. This has affected the smooth running of the commission, as these disagreements have hindered its smooth operation.

Usman’s resignation came a little more than a year after the sacking of his predecessor, Jalal Arabi, amidst allegations of financial impropriety. This also shows the need to take a critical look at the activities of those entrusted with the running of the commission. This is very important, as its operations have an effect on the image of the country abroad.

Also, his resignation followed months of allegations of maladministration and corruption. Things got to a head when, in late January, members of the board of the commission wrote a petition to President Bola Tinubu, passing a vote of no confidence and calling for his sacking.

Sadly, this came when all attention should have been on preparation for this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia, which arrangements, according to Saudi authorities, were lagging far behind. Only last week, the Saudi Hajj Authority agreed to extend the payment period by one week for Nigerian pilgrims.

The president has since announced the appointment of Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf as the new board chairman.

As a former career diplomat, we are optimistic that he would do the needful to recover the lost ground in the preparation for this year’s Hajj. However, this depends on how fast he is able to address the myriad of problems facing the commission.

Beyond this, there is an urgent need for the government to take a critical look at the activities of the commission, with a view to making it a more enduring and functional institution. This is necessary so as to rebuild the confidence of stakeholders in the commission, especially the Saudi authorities.

Daily Trust believes that one of the fundamental steps is to ensure that the commission maintains its core mandate of being a regulator rather than an operator. Over the years, the commission has got involved in all operational aspects of the Hajj, leaving its oversight function of supervising operators. On many occasions, it has delved into such activities as arranging feeding, transportation and accommodation on behalf of the operators, often getting overwhelmed by the tasks to the detriment of its regulatory duties. In the process, corruption sets in and things are often left undone, to the detriment of the ordinary pilgrim.

What Nigeria requires now are strong institutions that would survive any turbulence, and NAHCON is among those institutions that need urgent attention. It is sad that more than 50 years since we first organized Hajj, we still struggle to get it right. Given this experience, Nigeria should have been at par with countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, which every year organize seamless Hajj operations.

The federal government must begin to reorganize the commission to go back to its core mandate of being a regulator. With that, it would ensure that it has professional staff to monitor the activities of state pilgrims’ welfare agencies and tour operators. It would also ensure that every pilgrim gets value for money. The commission must be discouraged from such activities as being a channel for providing subsidy to pilgrims. For years, it has been made to appear that government subsidises pilgrimage, while in real terms the pilgrims pay for all the services, including a service charge paid to NAHCON.

It is time to get it right. It is time to have consistency in the administration of the Hajj exercise. Those who run NAHCON must be made to understand that their primary duty is the welfare of our pilgrims who laboured to fulfil one of the pillars of Islam. They should not be made to suffer from the greediness of NAHCON officials who see their work as a money-making avenue.