Vice President Kashim Shettima has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for what he described as the seamless handling of the 2026 Hajj operation, saying the exercise should become the standard for future pilgrimages.
Shettima spoke on Wednesday when he received the board and management of NAHCON, alongside representatives of the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The delegation briefed the Vice President on the just concluded 2026 Hajj exercise and outlined plans for future operations.
According to a State House press release issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima praised the efforts of NAHCON, the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and other stakeholders.
He congratulated the team “on an almost seamless performance.”
The Vice President said the performance recorded during the 2026 Hajj exercise “should be the benchmark going forward,” especially as authorities work towards “adopting a more sustainable model that guarantees 100 percent hitch-free pilgrimage.”
Earlier, NAHCON Chairman, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, briefed the Vice President on the outcome of the exercise and informed him of the Saudi authorities’ decision to migrate to a more sustainable business-to-business model.
According to Yusuf, the decision by Saudi authorities to transfer the handling of 98 percent of pilgrims to private tour operators aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, while NAHCON retains its regulatory responsibilities and cedes operational aspects of Hajj to the private sector.
He said the commission “remains fully committed and charged in delivering on this new task,” adding that plans are already underway to implement the new arrangement successfully.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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