Kano Hajj: Pilgrims Board gives intending pilgrims Sept. 5 passport deadline

The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has given intending pilgrims who have paid for the 2026 Hajj but are yet to submit their e-passports a September 5 deadline to do so, warning that failure to meet the deadline could lead to cancellation of their slots.

The Director-General of the Board, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Matawalle, disclosed this while speaking with members of the Kano Correspondents Chapel.

He said  the measure was necessary to enable the state meet the timeline set by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON.

Matawalle said pilgrims who failed to submit their e-passports by the deadline would have their fares refunded, while their slots would be given to pilgrims on the waiting list.

He disclosed that more than 200 pilgrims were already on standby with their passports and other required documents, including cheques valued at more than N7.6 million, ready to take up any available slots.

According to him, Kano currently has an allocation of 3,050 pilgrims for the forthcoming Hajj, adding that all the available seats had already been exhausted.

He explained that the reduction in Kano’s allocation followed the reduction in Nigeria’s overall Hajj quota by Saudi Arabia after the country was unable to utilise its 90,000 allocation during the previous operation.

The DG said he inherited a difficult situation when he assumed office, noting that about 80 per cent of the arrangements for the previous Hajj had already been concluded before his appointment.

He said the limited time available created challenges in areas such as visa processing, Basic Travel Allowance, BTA, pilgrims’ sensitisation and uploading of passports into the Saudi system.

Matawalle, however, said the board overcame the challenges and successfully secured visas for Kano pilgrims within the deadline stipulated by NAHCON and the Saudi authorities.

He recalled that officials of the board worked day and night, including during Ramadan, to ensure that the required passports were uploaded on time.

He said the board had reviewed the challenges encountered during the previous Hajj and introduced measures to improve accommodation, feeding, medical services, supervision and the general welfare of pilgrims.

“One of my greatest commitments is to ensure that our pilgrims have decent reception, decent accommodation and comfortable conditions to perform their religious rites without distress,” he said.

Matawalle disclosed that the board would reduce the number of accommodation facilities for Kano pilgrims from about nine or 10 houses previously used to only two houses during the forthcoming operation.

He said the decision would make it easier for officials to monitor the welfare of pilgrims and provide essential services, including feeding and medical care.

On accommodation in Makkah, the DG said the board could not promise facilities at the doorstep of the Grand Mosque but assured pilgrims that the distance would be significantly improved compared with the previous Hajj.

He also promised to address delays associated with the issuance of “Masuk”, the identification card required by pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

According to him, some Kano pilgrims were previously forced to remain in buses for long periods while waiting for their Masuk cards.

“We have taken very serious and drastic action to curtail that incidence,” he said.

On airlift arrangements, Matawalle said the board had engaged the airline to ensure that Kano pilgrims were not among the last groups to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia.

“Last year, we were almost the last people to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia. This time around, we will never be the last. If we cannot be the first, we will definitely be the second or be in the middle,” he said.

He urged pilgrims to comply with all documentation requirements within the stipulated time, assuring them that the board was determined to provide a more organised, efficient and comfortable Hajj operation.