Saudi Arabia has reduced Nigeria’s Hajj quota from 95,000 to 66,910 starting with the 2026 pilgrimage.
NAHCON said the cut followed Nigeria’s repeated failure to fully utilize its previous allocations.
Saudi Arabia has cut Nigeria’s Hajj quota from 95,000 to 66,910 slots beginning with the 2026 pilgrimage. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) confirmed the reduction, saying it resulted from Nigeria’s inability to exhaust its previous allocations in the 2024 and 2025 pilgrimages.
In a statement issued by Fatima Sanda Usara, NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Information and Publication, the commission noted that the new figure represents the actual capacity listed for Nigeria on the NUSUK Masar portal. She explained that while 95,000 slots had initially been assigned, Saudi authorities now recognize only 66,910 for the 2026 Hajj following repeated under-utilization.
The decision was disclosed during a joint meeting between NAHCON and state officials convened to review Hajj costing and other operational details ahead of the 2026 exercise.
Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, said future allocations to each state would depend on how efficiently they used their 2025 slots, stressing that performance would be a key determinant in subsequent distributions.
Also speaking, NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, called for closer cooperation among state officials to ensure smooth coordination next year. He urged them to strictly enforce medical screening rules, which he described as a priority requirement set by Saudi authorities.
Meanwhile, the commission said it is in talks with service providers to review and possibly reduce several cost components, including cargo handling fees, in order to ease the financial burden on intending pilgrims.
