Stakeholders in Nigeria's Hajj industry have renewed calls for a national Hajj policy to tackle the recurring challenge of late payments by intending pilgrims.
Speaking at the 2025 Post-Hajj Lecture organised by the Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR) in Abuja, former Kaduna State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Dr. Shehu Usman Muhammed, said the absence of legal instruments makes it difficult for financial institutions to provide loans to pilgrims or state boards.
He explained that most Nigerian pilgrims are farmers, whose income comes after harvest, often clashing with Saudi Arabia's strict payment deadlines. "National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) cannot manufacture money. States also don't have funds readily available because people have not paid," he said.
Muhammed proposed a savings-based policy framework, similar to models in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, which would allow institutions to provide bridging finance, recoverable after harvest.
NAHCON's Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofi Olanrewaju Elegushi, added that changes in Saudi Arabia's Hajj calendar compounded the 2025 challenges, requiring full payments before Ramadan.
IHR National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed, criticised what he called the "luxurisation" of Hajj, with pilgrims demanding VIP tents, AI-controlled services and automated rail transport. He argued such expectations distract from the spiritual essence of Hajj.