LESS than 24 hours after News Point Nigeria exclusively published an in-depth investigation exposing discrepancies and inflation in the 2026 Hajj fare announced by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an immediate review and downward adjustment of the fare.
The President directed NAHCON to come up with new, affordable Hajj fares within 48 hours.
The directive was conveyed by Vice President Kashim Shettima during a meeting with the management and board members of the commission at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.
According to the Vice President, the President’s order followed concerns raised over the fairness and transparency of the recently announced fares, amid reports indicating inconsistencies in the figures presented by NAHCON.
“The President has directed that a new and more realistic fare be worked out immediately. Pilgrims should not bear unnecessary financial burdens, especially given the improving value of the naira and the administration’s ongoing economic reforms,” the Vice President stated.
He emphasized synergy between federal and state Hajj officials, including Governors and pilgrims’ welfare boards, to streamline payments and ensure that remittances to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are made on time for a smooth exercise.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, disclosed that the session was aimed at finalising preparations for the 2026 Hajj and specifically at reassessing the cost structure to reflect the nation’s economic realities.
“The Vice President felt that if pilgrims paid ₦8.5 million to ₦8.6 million last year when the exchange rate was weaker, then the appreciation of the naira must be reflected in this year’s fares. The benefits of the government’s reforms must directly impact citizens,” Senator Hadejia said.
Just days before the presidential directive, NAHCON had announced that each intending pilgrim for the 2026 Hajj would enjoy a ₦200,000 reduction compared to last year’s fare, attributing the cut to what it called “intensive negotiations” with Saudi service providers.
During a press conference in Kano on Friday, October 4, 2025, the NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, claimed the commission secured a ₦19 billion reduction for Nigerian pilgrims, translating to ₦200,000 each for 66,910 intending pilgrims. He repeated the claim in a BBC Hausa interview broadcast on October 5.
However, an exclusive investigation by News Point Nigeria revealed that these claims were misleading and not supported by the commission’s own official documents.
The investigation uncovered that of the 24 cost components in the Hajj fare structure, only three were altered, one reduced and two increased. While the Masha’ir service fee dropped slightly by 150 Saudi Riyal (about $40), the cost of Madinah accommodation rose by $51.52, and the cost of suitcases was increased by ₦30,000.
Consequently, rather than a reduction, the 2026 Hajj fare actually rose by at least ₦47,825 per pilgrim, contrary to NAHCON’s public claims.
Further analysis showed that NAHCON used an inflated exchange rate of ₦1,550/$1 instead of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s prevailing official rate of ₦1,455/$1, effectively shortchanging 66,910 intending pilgrims by over ₦33.3 billion.
At the inflated rate, each pilgrim from northern states would be overcharged by ₦505,327; those from the south by ₦524,707; and those from Maiduguri/Yola by ₦497,575.
“The only actual reduction recorded came from the slight improvement in the exchange rate, not from any negotiations with Saudi service providers as NAHCON claimed,” the News Point Nigeria’s investigation revealed.
It also found arithmetic inconsistencies in Sheikh Pakistan’s assertion that ₦200,000 multiplied by 66,910 pilgrims amounted to ₦19 billion, a claim off by nearly ₦6 billion.
The News Point Nigeria findings further exposed that NAHCON still charges each pilgrim a steep $224.59 (₦348,114) service fee, which lots of pilgrims described as “unjustified and exploitative.”
If reverted to the pre-2022 service charge of $133.40 (₦206,770) used during Barr. Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad’s leadership between 2015 and 2019, the 2026 Hajj fare could drop by ₦161,505 per pilgrim.
Similarly, an additional ₦373,000 could be deducted if the airfare increment introduced during the 2023 Sudan crisis, which no longer applies is removed.
In total, the 2026 Hajj fare could be reduced by at least ₦1.38 million per pilgrim, bringing it down to about ₦6.7 million for northern pilgrims and ₦7.1 million for those from the southern states, if NAHCON fully complies with the presidential directive and eliminates unnecessary costs.
Stakeholders have also questioned the legality of NAHCON’s role in directly fixing and announcing fares, arguing that the 2006 NAHCON Establishment Act only empowers it to regulate, license, and supervise Hajj activities not operate as a fare-fixing agency.
In Kano, the Chairman of the Kebbi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and Deputy Chairman of the Forum of State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, Alhaji Faruk Aliyu Yaro, hailed the President’s quick intervention, describing it as “a victory for transparency and fairness.”
“We are grateful to the President and the Vice President for this prompt action. It shows the government is listening and ready to protect the interest of Nigerian pilgrims,” Yaro said.
Similarly, the NAHCON Secretary, Dr. Mustapha Mohammad, said the commission welcomed the directive and would “work tirelessly within the next two days” to produce a revised, more affordable fare.
A senior policy analyst in Abuja, Mubarak Garba Ibrahim told News Point Nigeria that “this action not only saves pilgrims from being overcharged but also strengthens citizens’ confidence in the power of investigative journalism and institutional oversight.”
For millions of Nigerian Muslims yearning to fulfill their spiritual obligation, President Tinubu’s directive signals a renewed hope, that performing Hajj will no longer be an elite privilege, but a reachable dream for the average believer.
See below link of News Point Nigeria‘s story on the Hajj fare, published 24 hours earlier:
NAHCON’s N19bn Savings For Nigerian Pilgrims False, 2026 Hajj Fare Could Have Been N6.7m
NAHCON’s N19bn Savings For Nigerian Pilgrims False, 2026 Hajj Fare Could Have Been N6.7m