By Ahmed Akanbi
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has assured that every Nigerian pilgrim who participated in the 2026 Hajj would be airlifted back from Saudi Arabia well before the Kingdom’s June 30 deadline.
Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, gave the assurance in an operational update released weekend, as the return airlift enters its 10th day, saying the commission is monitoring the exercise closely to ensure no Nigerian pilgrim is left behind in the Kingdom.
“All Nigerian pilgrims will be airlifted back home well before the Saudi deadline for the departure of pilgrims, which falls on the 15th of Muharram, the Gregorian date of which is 30th June, 2026,” he stated.
NAHCON said the return airlift is progressing steadily in line with return leg slots secured by each of the official air carriers.
As of the time of the report on Sunday, a total of 19,472 pilgrims have been transported from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria.
The commission noted that some states have fully concluded the return journey of their pilgrims, while others are at advanced stages.
It listed states that have completed their return airlift as Nasarawa, Gombe, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Jigawa, Kwara, and Plateau, adding that Lagos, Kebbi, and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have also airlifted between 65% and 80% of their pilgrims.
NAHCON explained that 19 states are yet to commence return flights due to its “first-in-first-out” policy enforced on each airline.
The affected states are: Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the Armed Forces.
For Adamawa and Taraba, which began airlift fairly early, NAHCON said their official carrier is still airlifting its allocated pilgrims proportionate to secured airlift slots.
The commission said the return schedule is determined by airlift slots secured by designated airlines.
It has advised the airlines to take measures to complete the airlift within the agreed 19-day window, which covers pilgrims’ accommodation, feeding, transport, and medical services.
“As backed by contractual agreements, the commission will implement contingency rescue plan if it becomes obvious that any airline cannot meet up with the schedule,” NAHCON stated.
The commission thanked pilgrims, their families, airlines, and stakeholders for their cooperation, and pledged to continue providing regular updates on the return operations.