In a move that will expand the number of participants from Nigeria in the annual Islamic pilgrimage, the Saudi Arabian authorities have reportedly approved an additional 10,000 slots for Nigerian pilgrims to attend the 2027 Hajj. According to reports from Premium Times Nigeria, Punch Newspapers, and Daily Post Nigeria, this decision brings the total national allocation for the 2027 Hajj to 60,000 pilgrims.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) announced the development in a statement signed by its Head of Information and Publications, Shafii Sani Mohammed. The Commission did not specify when the Saudi authorities made this decision or provide details on the criteria for allocating these additional slots. However, NAHCON stated that ‘the increase was secured [through] the sustained efforts of the Federal Government and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’.
This latest development is significant for Nigerian Muslims who wish to participate in the Hajj. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and it is a religious duty for every able Muslim to perform the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.
According to Premium Times Nigeria, ‘the increase in the number of slots will ease the pressure on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to select and manage the allocation of the tickets’. It remains unclear how this increased number of slots may impact the selection process for Nigerian pilgrims.
It is worth noting that the Hajj was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it resumed in a limited capacity in 2021. The Saudi Arabian authorities have not yet announced whether they will implement any restrictions on the 2027 Hajj in response to the ongoing pandemic.
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